Today is the annual Christmas cookie party that I host. This is the 6th time that I’ve done it in my adult life, but its origins are much older.
When I was a wee one (4 or 5? who really knows), all the women of my Mom’s family–my Mom, my Aunt, and my Grandma plus me would make 12 different kinds of cookies in one day in my Grandma’s tiny awkward orange formica countertopped kitchen. I remember doing this at least 3 times, which seems about right because we moved to TX just before my 9th birthday in March. Why 12 cookies? I suppose that’s one of those generational questions…something akin to “Why do we have to cut the ends off the pot roast? (because Grandma’s pan was too short to accomodate a bigger roast)”…a question with an answer that is much less mysterious once its practical reasons are revealed. My only thought as to why we ever made 12 different kinds of cookies would be because of the 12 days of Christmas.
In that spirit, for the next 12 days, I will post and write about a different cookie in the dozen. In addition to this, I’ve created a Flickr group called The 12 Days of Christmas (Cookies). Please please feel free to put up pictures of your Christmas cookies. I’d love to know what other people bake this time of year. And how do you and your family get together through cooking this time of year?
Me with Gram–wasn’t she a pretty lady? She and my Mom are the reason I cook in the first place. They both always let me be in the kitchen. Let your kids do things with you! They learn a lot more than you think they will when you hand them a lump of leftover bread dough.
These are some of the ornaments made from this recipe that are adorning our tree this year.
