Recipe Book: Jeanette's Cardamom Cookies

If you've attended one of our storefront shows in downtown San Rafael, you've likely seen or eaten homemade cookies made by our Artistic Director Jeanette Harrison. She says of Thanksgiving, "Many Native people have a complicated relationship with this day. This year, thanks in no small part to Black leaders’ inclusive activism, I see increased Native visibility, efforts to Indigenize school curricula, a greater awareness of Indigenous leadership practices. People seem to be willing to listen more. And even non-Natives are talking about decolonization. I'm thankful for that. And hopeful for the future." This holiday season all of us at AlterTheater hope you'll stay safe. Often that means isolated from your family members, to honor your own vulnerability or theirs. We're thinking of you all as we continue to shelter in place and avoid public gatherings as much as is feasible. We hope you are able to honor your loved ones and yourself with good food and company, either safely in your pod or virtually. In the spirit of gathering around good food and good stories, we'll be sharing some of our favorite recipes. To start, Jeanette shares her recipe for Cardamom Cookies, adapted from ganondagan.org, and recommends Coffee With My Ma podcast, a Mohawk woman chatting with her mother. Cornmeal Cookies Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping

• ½ cup Iroquois Roasted White Corn Flour

• ½ teaspoon of salt

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tbps honey

• 1 large egg

• lemon zest (more is better)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, corn flour, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon zest and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart from each other onto two large baking sheets. Flatten with slightly floured fingertips.

4. Bake until edges are golden, 14-16 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.

5. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack and let cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Eat 'em all yourself, or share with your pod!