Allison Cafe

Have you ever wondered why the holidays stir up memories of the smell of baked goods wafting from the kitchen? There is something about November and December that just makes some of us want to spend more time in the kitchen. Perhaps it is not only the sweet taste of sugar, but the memories that cookies create.

As a kid I can remember spending time in the kitchen helping my mom make cookies. There was something so magical about being asked to help with the oh so important Christmas cookie. Everyone had their favorite cookie. My dad loved the powdered date balls, and I think he still does. My favorite was the thumb-print cookie, which was a bite-size cookie covered in nuts and had a maraschino cherry or large chocolate chip pressed into the center of it. Those were super fun to make as a kid, I had a fabulous time and felt great responsibility when given the task of placing the cherries onto the cookies.

Now that I have a kitchen of my own, I am in the cookie driver’s seat and recently found myself with the profound decision of what cookie traditions to start in our home. With pride in my own roots and an exploration of my husband’s Greek heritage, I decided to try some ethnic recipes. I noticed some similarities between a Hungarian nut horn recipe and a Greek festival crescent recipe that I had been given. Deciding that those recipes would be a good blend of our family tree, I started baking.

Making the nutty crescent cookies was surprisingly simple. You simply combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, shape them, bake them, and then coat them with sugar. It also was a welcome distraction from all the other holiday stresses, like shopping, creating holiday cards and planning the side dish recipes for the holiday meals. Realizing that the cookie production had taken my mind off of everything else is when I decided that making cookies is great therapy.

Some recipes require your complete concentration. Have you ever made a batch of baked goods while attempting several other household tasks, only to find that the finished product is sub-par? Either because you did not take the time to measure evenly, forgot an ingredient, or baked the items at the wrong temperature or for the wrong time? If you had just let yourself live in the moment you could have ended up not only with a better baked good, but possibly with a happier state of mind.

There is something so sublime about getting lost in baking cookies or frosting a cupcake. It becomes less about the anticipation of eating the sweets and more about the pride in a job well done, perhaps while enjoying the baking journey along the way. And if you can employ the little helpers in your life in the kitchen, you are creating a wonderful bonding experience and lifetime of holiday memories. Happy baking!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•