Cookie Baking and Vintage Traditions

Recently a friend and I got together

for a Christmas cookie baking day.

 

An EXTRAVAGANZA.

 

Let me explain.

 

When she said we could

make cookies I thought,

well, that would probably

be about two hours

and then we'd be done.

 

She informed me it

was an all day affair.

 

"All day?" I thought.

You see, I do not come

from a long line

of cookie makers.

 

 

My cooking skills far outshine

my baking efforts.

 

But, living in central Pennsylvania

has an effect on you.

 

Everyone here bakes.

 

If you don't,

 you are left out

in the cooooolllldd

shiver-i-ness

of store bought

or package mix

cookies.

 

OOOOOOhhhhh.

The horrors.

 

It will make your friends

shudder at the thought.

 

 

So, when a friend suggested we make

cookies for fun, I took her up on it.

 

Why not? I only had more to gain.

Plus, a few dozen cookies to boot.

 

She brought over half

of her kitchen,

probably fearing the

worst.

 

That I would

have nothing to

bake with!

 Who could blame her?

 

She had cookie recipes she

brought along, too.

 

A version from her husband's

family and some recipes
 from when she was a little girl.

 

What I discovered about cookie baking

day was...

It was about TRADITIONS.

 

Handing down family

recipes, stories

and memories.

 

I even used my

Grandmother's old

Pyrex mixing bowl which

made it all come full

 circle for me,

even though I didn't have

a cookie tradition myself.

 

I did manage to whip up a

tasty batch of SPRITZ

cookies, which were from

my Dear Hubs' family.

 

What a great day!

 

And now that we've started

teaching Bebe, it is

something we can

look forward to every year.