C is for Cookie…
“I think cookies are sort of the unsung sweet, you know?
They’re incredibly popular. But everybody thinks of cakes and pies and fancier desserts before they think of cookies. A plate of cookies is a great way to end dinner and really nice to share at the holidays.”
~Bobby Flay
Most of us have childhood memories taken from the primary holiday book—cook book that is. Whether a neighborhood cookie exchange, tins of homemade treats for friends, office recipe swap or annual gingerbread house making. Each home has their own story to tell.
Years of Tupperware laden tables with dozens & dozens of cookies is mixed into my own holiday memories. It began as our family Christmas Eve celebration held at my grandparents farmhouse (a mere .5 mile from Belle Flower Farm). As the family member numbers rose, it evolved to my childhood home. The inevitable spread again and a move to the church social hall was incorporated.
Step 1: Gather your ingredients
Sisters that loved to bake. Two of the four took the pastry chef lead on this. They began early as ingredients went on sale, cracking walnuts in the fall & picking up the latest container at that year’s Tupperware Party.
Step 2: Get to mixing
A blend of old and new recipes—grandma’s favorite sugar cookie, nutmeg heavy, sat along side the “modern” Rice Krispy Treat. Peanut butter balls & Snicker-doodles. Chocolate crinkle cookies & Snowballs. Wagon Wheels, Fudge & Divinity. Vanilla jumbles, cutout cookies & more. Both sister baked at least 10 double batches each!
Step 3: Don’t Forget the Leavening
As all the sisters chatted on the phone, updates to the party plans, dinner menu & cookie numbers. Laughter was never far away. The objective, after all, was for the family to sprinkle fun with folding in memory making.
Step 4: Time to Bake
The timer went off & everything came together each Christmas Eve. Over 59 years of celebrating together. Soup buffet, Christmas carols & reading the Christmas story, box in the box game, BINGO, Family trivia, talent show, Graham cracker houses, Christmas stockings from grandma, and later the “grandmas”—and cookies!
Step 5: Resting
After all of the cookies had been sampled, family members were encouraged to fill their empty containers with cookies to take home. Several dozen remained, set aside to become dessert for our own Christmas Day. A few favorite ones for Santa’s treat later that night.
All shared & enjoyed—until next year.
“Christmas cookies can’t help but be retro—
they are memory first, sugar-flour-egg-redhot-gumdrop-sparkle reality second.”
~Dana Goodyear
My own joy of baking lost its spring for a short time. Gluten free baking took some time finding the right flour to incorporate. As I bake our favorite holiday cookie recipes it now delightfully goes unnoticed. From Chocolate Pinwheel to Macarons, Snow balls to grandmother’s Nutmeg Sugar cookies—I am filling our cookie jar with a new twist.
“..and that’s good enough for me.”
~Joe Raposo
Dedicated to my late Aunt Margaret