Shortbread sandwich cookies ... Simple but addicting!

Shortbread cookies are always appreciated anytime of the year. Although it is quite easy to find these butter cookies in supermarket, nothing beats the quality of the homemade version. They require a little bit of work since the base is a Pâte sablée which can be very tricky to work with. However, what the pastry may lack in "easiness" is largely compensated by its delicacy. If you are looking to surprise your loved one on Valentine's Day (or any other occasion), the gourmet shortbread sandwich cookie we are presenting today will go beyond your expectations!

This shortbread cookie is delicious alone, but when combine them with a raspberry preserve, the subtle nutty flavor of the butter is largely enhanced. If you are planning to ship these cookies, it will be a good idea to pack the preserve separately and leave your loved one(s) to perform the final assemblage. Otherwise, a couple of hours is all you'll need to wow children and grown-ups.

We are using the French raspberry preserve "Bonne Maman"

Gourmet shortbread sandwiches cookies
(This is recipe is for 20 sandwiches)

2 1/3 cup (300g) of sifted flour
2/3 cup (150g) of butter, soften
2/3 cup (125g) of sugar
1 egg yolk at room temperature
¼ cup (60g) of heavy cream
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 jar of raspberry preserve (or any flavor of your choice)

In a mixing bowl, process the butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light. Add the flour, then the egg. Finally, add the cream and vanilla extract. Do not overwork the dough. Let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

When ready to work the dough, preheat the oven at 350˚F (180˚C) and line several cookie sheets with wax paper.

Roll the pastry out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper, rolling from center out and turning it to ensure even rolling. Peel off the top sheet of baking paper. Using a cookie cutter, cut 40 heart shapes and place them on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake them for 10 - 12 minutes or when they start to take a golden color. Be mindful not to leave the cookies too long in the oven as they tend to overcook rather quickly. (They will take a darker color as they cool off.) They are also very fragile when still hot, so use a large metal spatula to place them on a cooling rack.

Once completely cold, create the sandwiches by scooping a teaspoon of preserve inside one cookie and topping it with another one. Repeat the operation until all cookies are used.

The cookies can be kept airtight for 2 to 3 days, although they are so delicious ... that they rarely last so long!

Gardens and Architecture abound at The Getty Villa

Located in Malibu, CA is the imposing Getty Villa, one of the two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The Getty Villa is a museum as well as an education center dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean World, dating from 6,500 B.C. to A.D. 400. To stay true to its purpose, the building has been modeled after the Villa dei Papiri, a roman country house in Herculaneum that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

Because much of the original Villa dei Papiri remains unexcavated, the museum’s architectural and landscaping details were designed according to plans of Roman houses present in the same area. The result is an amazing building that gives a pretty accurate feeling on how people were living in these ancient times.

Overlooking the Main Courtyard of the Villa


Corinthian columns


Details on the ceiling

The museum was build in the early 1970 on the same ground where the oil Tycoon J. Paul Getty had his residence. Mr. Getty wanted to re-create a first-century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri, to display his growing art collection of which Greek and Roman antiquities were an important element.

The J. Paul Getty Museum opened in 1974, after a detailed construction work performed by the architectural firm of Langdon and Wilson. In 1997, the site closed to undergo a complete renovation while the Getty Center opened to the public in Los Angeles. In January 2006, the newly renovated Malibu site opened as the Getty Villa, dedicated to the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria.

Nature and architecture blends harmoniously


The Inner Peristyle displays many bronze status and benches

During the Roman period, these large villas were used as a way to display the wealth of its owner and were always open to the public. Neighbors and other citizens were free to come and go, and we can easily perceive the rivalry and jalousie present among the wealthier people.

Gardens are an important part of the Getty Villa. Like in every Ancient Rome home, the Villa has a fragrant herb garden that were used in cooking, ceremony and medicine. Fountains and lily ponds are also widely present on the grounds, reminding us the importance that water had during this time in history. The gardens offer many peaceful places for conversation and contemplation, away from the continual agitation of the house.

Lily pond in the Herb Garden


Lily pond in the Herb Garden


East Garden fountain


Fountains and lily pounds

The formal gardens and the long corridors of the Outer Peristyle provide interesting perspectives for any photographer. Many bronze replicas of status found at the Villa dei Papiri are displayed here in their original ancient elements.

The art and sculpture collections are housed inside the main building, around the Atrium and the Inner Peristyle. Approximately 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities are exhibited in the 23 galleries of the permanent collection. Five additional galleries are dedicated for changing exhibitions. Today, the Getty Villa is home to one of America’s finest collections of ancient Mediterranean World antiquities.

Colonnade around the Outer Peristyle


Formal gardens in the Outer Peristyle


Corridors create interesting perspectives

For more information

The Getty Villa is open Wednesday to Monday, 10am – 5pm (Closed on Tuesday) and the admission is free. However, the museum is limiting the number of visitors and you would need to book your timed ticket in advance via phone or the museum website. For more information, please visit The Getty website.

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Southern California to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.

English Garden arrangement

If you are enjoying beautiful blooms in your garden, there is an easy way to enjoy them as well in your home. English Garden style is a traditional English form of floral design, featuring abundant use of seasonal flowers and foliages. This type of design is often done as low and tightly massed arrangements that incorporate garden flowers like roses, delphinium and peonies.

As for any tightly packed floral design, an English Garden design will require a lot of flowers. If you are gifted with abundant blooms, the featured arrangement will be a celebration to your gardening skills. Even if you do not have a garden, you can still design this arrangement by shopping at your flower shop. This English Garden arrangement will be a beautiful addition to any kind of décor.

The beautiful white roses create a focal point

The use of butterflies is a lovely accent to the arrangement. You can also include your garden pruner in the presentation. 

The combination of standard roses, spray roses, mini carnation and lisianthus buds create a beautiful texture.

English Garden arrangement

1 ceramic jardinière (7”x10”)
1 ½ brick of Oasis foam
12 white roses
10 stems of pink spray roses
10 stems of orange mini carnations
10 stems of purple Lisianthus
15 Galax leaves
10 stems of bear grass
5 peonies buds*
4 floral accent butterflies**

* Optional
** Available at arts & craft stores

Soak your oasis bricks and shape them to fit the jardinière. Remove a small wedge to ensure a water reservoir will be available. Make sure you leave at least 3” of foam above the rim of the container and trim the edges. 

Start by placing the Galax leaves on the edge of the jardinière, making sure the leaves are actually laying down on the edge to cover it. Then, insert your white roses. Create 2 focal points with 3 roses, one on each side then place the remaining randomly. Place your spray roses and mini carnations, always making sure you group them to give the arrangement a more natural look.

Next, use the lisianthus flowers as a filler wherever you see any empty spaces. Do not forget the lisianthus buds that are so lovely and add an interesting texture and form to the arrangement. Once your design is completed, the Oasis foam should be completely covered. If you are using the Peonies buds, you can insert them in the central part.

Finish your design by looping the bear grass to give volume and movement to your arrangement and place your butterflies.

Get your groove on at the Getty

What do you get when you combine 16,000 tons of travertine stone from Italy, 40,000 enamel-clad aluminum panels, a few enormous walls of glass, 24 acres of gardens, and over 500 varieties of plants? What you get is the magnificent, shimmering, twenty-first century acropolis known as the Getty Center. Perched 881 feet above sea level and inaugurated in December 1997, the Getty Center was designed by the modernist, award-winning architect Richard Meier.

Expanding on the formal base of the Modern Movement in architecture, Richard Meier has said that his intention was to create “…a notion of beauty molded by light.” In so doing, Meier has struck a balance between humanist, classical organization and organic forms. 

Arrival Plazza


Richard Meier's signature

In designing the environment, Meier took into account both the topography and the clear, ambient light. He chose travertine stone for this project because it is often associated with public architecture and expresses qualities the Getty Center celebrates: permanence, solidity, simplicity, warmth, and craftsmanship. Meier was inspired by Renaissance cutting techniques to extract the stone out of travertine quarries that have been used for building since ancient Roman times. Meier and his team worked with the famous Mariotti family in the Bagni di Tivoli for over a year, importing the travertine from Italy to California.

Museum Entrance Hall

Architectural buffs love to examine the myriad of ways that Meier investigated the Modern Movement, and claim that the details of the north and east buildings particularly incorporate characteristics of the 1920s Bauhaus movement in Europe, as well as Los Angeles' twentieth-century buildings by Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolph Schindler.

In pursuing his passion for pushing the limits of Modernism to new and thrilling heights, Meier spared no expense. The Getty complex cost roughly $1 Billion to construct, and its exterior is a work of art unto itself.

Museum Courtyard. The temporary exhibition was "Cast in Bronze" - French sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution.

Inside the complex resides an enormous collection of French furniture and decorative arts, Impressionist paintings, fine illuminated manuscripts, contemporary photography, and European drawings. The star of the show, of course, is Van Gogh's Irises. Not to be missed, it was reportedly acquired for $53.9 million.

After parking at the base of the hill, guests ascend to the top via two 3-car, computer-operated trams, where there are four exhibit pavilions and a visitor center with panoramic views. The museum itself is situated at the south east corner of the hill, providing a dominating view of the city. At the entrance of the museum, a glass lobby looks onto an inner garden.

The panoramic view of Los Angeles

To the east are city landscapes, to the south, the cactus garden and city views of the South Bay and the Palos Verdes peninsula. At the north promontory, the landscaping blends into the hillside surroundings. The Getty Center buildings and gardens span across 24 acres, and the formal landscaping was designed by Laurie Olin to complement and enhance Meier's design, providing a balance between man-made and the natural elements. There are fountains in the Museum Courtyard and the Central Plaza, and various shaded hideaways to sit quietly and soak in the scenery. 

South Promontory and Cactus Garden

The living work of art known as the Central Garden, created by renowned artist Robert Irwin, lies at the heart of the Getty Center. The 134,000-square-foot design features a natural ravine and tree-lined walkway that crosses a stream and winds through a variety of plants. This walkway gradually descends to a plaza where beautiful bougainvillea scents the air.

Irwin defined the Central Garden as “always changing, never twice the same.” Its color scheme is primarily lavender and white, perhaps coinciding with the colors of Van Gogh's Irises. A beautiful example of this in the month of June is the purple-flowering Jacaranda trees in the small courtyard in front of the auditorium.

A beautiful Sempervivum succulent along the walkway


The gardens offer many beautiful shades

Since the Center opened in 1997, the Central Garden has evolved as its plants have grown and been trimmed, and new plants are constantly being added to the palette. All of the foliage and materials of the garden have been selected to accentuate the interplay of light, color, and reflection. The next time you feel overwhelmed by weeding your own garden, take heart in the fact that it requires thirty-two full-time gardeners working year round to tend Irwin's ever-changing work of art. So why not pay a visit to the Getty and be inspired to think BIG.

Central Garden


Central Garden

For more information

How To Get There:

1200 Getty Center Drive (approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles)

Los Angeles, California 90049

(310) 440-7300

For more information, visit their website.

Admission is free and parking is $15

Hours of operations:

Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Monday: CLOSED

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Southern California to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.

Text by Heather Farlinger.
Heather is a talented writer and producer based in Montreal. To contact Heather.