Cookies for Catherine: Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches

You know how I was recently talking bragging about the fact that I've had a lot of privileges of late? Well, one of them has been working with the amazing and brilliant Catherine Frazee. I met Catherine a bunch of years ago when I was working with another amazing and brilliant woman named Bonnie Sherr Klein on a beautiful film called Shameless: the ART of Disability.

In January, Catherine approached me about helping produce a recorded audio description to go with an installation produced by Ryerson University called: Out from Under: Disability, History and Things to Remember. Originally installed in the Royal Ontario Museum, Catherine was puttin' the show on the road and heading west.

And that's how I had the privilege of getting to work with Catherine again, on yet another amazing project. I plan to take more photos of Out from Under: Disability, History and Things to Remember this weekend and I'll do a post specifically about the installation which is now residing at UBC Robson Square. How I look forward to taking those photos and writing that post! But for tonight, I want to share some cookies with you.

Catherine lives in Ontario and Nova Scotia with her partner Patricia. And while we were corresponding, she started to tune into my humble little blog. And she MAY have mentioned on one or two occasions that she was lusting after some baked goods sugarlove style. So when I found out that Catherine and Pat were making the journey westward, I knew that I must spend a weekend in the kitchen baking for them! And here's one of the things I made for Catherine and Pat, with love.

Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches (from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 large egg beaten

1 cup of raspberry jam (with seeds)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and put the rack in the centre of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the vegetable shortening, butter and cup of sugar until it's light and fluffy. (About 2 minutes). In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda.

Add the maple syrup to the creamed butter and beat to combine. Beat in the egg. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add the sifted flour mixture a little bit at a time, until well blended.

Measure about 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in sugar and gently press on the parchment paper until it's a round disc. Continue to do this, spacing the balls about 3 inches apart. Bake until golden about 11 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

When the cookies are cool, spread a big dollop of jam over one side of a cookie and make a sandwich with a second cookie. Serve with a big glass of milk.