New Traditions: Easter Shortbread Cookies

 As mothers, we are primarily the ones who decide the traditions for our families. 

What do I want Easter to be for me? For my family? My children?

I did not fully grasp the weight of the role that I would take on when I got married. After all, there were just two of us at the time. The knowledge has slowly sunk in, in bits and pieces-- especially felt after the arrival of each new child. 

I am the heart of this family. I am the one that primarily decides how we live our lives. What our family culture is. What we celebrate-- how we celebrate.

I choose a home full of peace. I choose ordering my life to be more present with my family. I choose to celebrate our faith with beautiful reminders. 

These cookies were a start. Unlike Christmas, I always struggled with deciding upon meaningful Easter traditions besides the usual egg hunt. I find the "lamb cake" a bit too comical and I wanted something a bit more somber and refined. 

I'm not German, but I adore their traditional spingerle cookies although I won't be committed enough to do the whole nine yards of making the dough, setting them out overnight before baking, only to wait weeks and weeks for the flavor to develop and enjoy. Etc etc.

These King Arthur Spingerle inspired cookies were delicious and a tradition I hope to continue. They don't take nearly as long from start to finish and are even fairly easy to make. I used a mold by the Etsy shop, The Spingerle Baker, who has gorgeous molds and that absolutely conveyed the feeling for the Easter feast day that I wanted.

Sometimes it feels silly for us to begin new traditions that maybe our families didn't use in our childhood. You are a part of a different family now. 

The family that you have started is more important than the family you once were a part of. 

Don't underestimate the impact of the choices you make for your family as the mother. These are things that they will remember for the rest of their lives.