How fortunate we are to celebrate the solstice season in myriad ways; especially when it comes to food. And although there are many great quick treats to choose from, Christmas cookie baking in our house is a marathon. To tell the truth, I started it fifty years ago. I backed into it not quite realizing what I was agreeing to. (Ghosts of Christmases Past) During Christmas of 1973, my new mother-in-law gave me a set of aluminum cookie cutters. She also gave me her hand written Christmas cookie recipe with few instructions.
Only later did I figure out that she was passing her a weighty baking torch to me. Back then, I felt honored she would entrust me with the family’s cherished tradition of Christmas cookie making. Now I am the grandmother. I am still baking for the next generations. I am passing the traditions down in my own way. Now, we all ice cookies together. Then we squirrel them into tins. This happens before the great cookie diaspora across the Houston area. After all Santa has come to expect a snack at every stop!
For the past 50 years, Christmas cut-out cookies have been birthed from my kitchen, carrying forward into daughters’ families. Over the years, I edited and curated the cookie recipe. I tested variations, making it my own. I strive to perfect both the recipe and technique. Believe me…. without practice, trial and error, the deceptive nature of the perfect holiday cookie can be humbling and even feel humiliating. I was on the quest of perfection that taught me to savor life and love over appearance.
Every year, family enjoyed the yummy sugar and cream icing, sprinkles, in varying shapes. I learned that some cutters worked better than others. I also discovered that varying ingredients could make or break the taste, texture, and appearance.
Here is a link to my blog post COOKIE RECIPE published in a Christmas Past .
I tried my best to produce the same cookies every year. I was invariably faced with one challenge or another. These challenges changed the outcome of the cookies. Yet, each year, I showed up for the task of creating cookies. Everything played a part in each year’s final creation. This includes humidity level and oven tempering. It also involves using the right tools and measuring ingredients. Cookie storage and just plain weariness affected the results as well. Now, in my 51st year, I thought I would share a few lessons learned.
As a mystic, today, I enjoy turning seemingly mundane tasks like baking into meditation opportunities. If I am baking in solitude, I love getting into the ‘zone’ of baking with love. It’s a great time to actively meditate with hyper focus… almost seeing into the essence of the ingredients. But I get a bit ahead of myself.
It’s ok to get messy! Most things can be cleaned up (except red food coloring:~)
Preparation: The axiom “Preparation prevents pitifully poor performance,” applies here; but not in a judgmental way. Before I ever whip out the mixing bowl, I make lists.
Ingredients: I buy my ingredients/supplies in November, checking shelf life. My favorite baking stuff is in demand around Christmas.
Equipment: I gather all my equipment, the day before I bake.
Measure out ingredients before mixing begins. That way, I don’t forget whether I have added something and prevents distractions turning into guess work.
(Here’s a link to my favorite new mixing bowls.)
Pliability: – OK… My relationship to the dough is complicated on many levels.
In the mixing process, I test the dough by tasting at first to see if any ingredients are missing.
Then again as I add flour until I get the right tactal response from the dough. If it is sticky, continue adding flour until it is soft to the touch but not tacky.
Rolling out the dough is another exercise in working WITH the medium (dough). Chilled dough is stiff, too much flour in the dough also stiffens – creating cracks under the rolling pin. Dough that is room temp (too warm) loses its shape. So the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Balance of proportions between warm/cold, wet/dry, salt, sweet… you get the picture.
As in life, flexibility, tuning into the conditions and environment can yield a more meaningful experience, even with cookies. Letting go of perfectionism allows the messiness of joy to enter through any doorway or window it pleases!
Perseverance: Muscle memory is real.
While French cooking/recipes are precise and are wisely followed, sometimes, processes can easily get lost in the narrative instructions.
Some hands-on aspects can’t be conveyed through written recipes. This is where practical experience plays a crucial role. I have made my own mountainous share of mistakes. This includes tossing out batches of dough and burned cookies. Those experiences were not fun, but I learned through doing… over and over again.
Process: From making lists and gathering supplies to slipping those jewels between parchment paper sheets for storage, it’s worth patience.
Pace yourself: Plan for enough time to enjoy the experience! Just as the season of advent is one of waiting and watching, so it is with the baking process.
My motto is ‘Work smarter not harder.’ (Here’s a link to more thoughts on that.) This year, I experimented with measuring out dough on to cellophane wrap to help rolling out the chilled dough.
Dough needs to chill & rest overnight before rolling out and baking.
The cookies need to cool before icing.
The icing needs the sprinkles applied right after spreading. Then icing needs to dry before storing in containers.
What Matters? Ingredients are crucial. Tools play an important role. Timing is essential. But in the end, the taste lifts the spirit. TASTE triggers FEELINGS and MEMORIES. The yummy flavors create those timeless memories and trigger the feelings of the holidays. THAT’s the warmth of heart I wish to create. The cookies are merely the container filled with LOVE. With this in minds, the goal changes from creative perfection to a tasty hot mess of fun. The intention is set early in the list making stage. It is manifested in wishes come true.
Endorphins fire with each yummy bite.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
