Cookie Factory

Aprons on.

After a big sigh of relief and a good night’s sleep once the turkey dinner is behind me, it’s time to gear up for the next holiday. The one I actually like.

The tree is up and decorated. Christmas music is on. The oven is heating up because it’s time to bake.

As a kid, if cooking was happening, I didn’t show up in the kitchen. I had better things to do. Read. Play my stereo loud and pretend I was a singer in a band. But when Mom intended to bake, I was happy to hang out and help.

First, we had to get ready. Later on, I would learn that what Mom did was mise en place, putting everything in place for smooth and successful bakes. Our canisters of flour and sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar were at hand. Sticks of butter, both cold and room temperature, blocks of cream cheese, and extracts were plentiful. We had the necessary tools like a rolling pin, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry blender, mixing bowls, spatulas, and cookie sheets. Of course, the containers for freezer storage. Some years later, we graduated to cooling racks, cookie scoops, silicone baking mats, food gel coloring and gourmet sprinkles.

My first assistant jobs included chopping nuts. Using the hand mixer to cream butter and sugar. Licking the beaters. Rolling dough into balls. Using a fork to make those little tine marks on peanut butter cookies. Placing Maraschino cherries on top of her favorite cream cheese cookies.

When I was little, Mom would make sure to help me choose cookies to leave out for Santa.

On Christmas Eve, I’d sit down with paper and crayon and write a little note.

“Dear Santa, Here’s a little snack for you and your reindeer. Thank you for the presents.” (I’d leave a carrot out for Rudolph too.)

Then, Mom and I headed downstairs to the freezer with a small plate for Santa’s cookies.   “Santa likes these cream cheese cookies, I think.  They’re his favorite.”

Ahhh…I see what you did there, Mom!

Photo by J G D on Unsplash

When the family got together for Christmas, I loved seeing all of the cookies on big platters. My aunt and grandma usually baked too so we had a variety of cookies. My aunt made those Chow Mein noodle cookies and thumbprints. Grandma made nut roll.

Mom wasn’t into chocolate, so she didn’t bake any chocolate cookies. (In my teen’s, I got her to make chocolate chip cookies with Christmas M&M’s.) She was a nut lover, so she made Russian teacakes (with walnuts), pecan tarts, and my dad’s favorite, cheesecake dreams (walnuts, again).

And she made my favorite: spritz cookies. She needed a special tool for those, a cookie press. It came with little discs with stencil shapes. My favorite shape was the Christmas tree. Mom colored the dough green for those and added almond extract. Her cookie press was electric and noisy, it looked and sounded like a hair dryer. She was an ace with that thing.

The last cookie I remember from childhood was a mainstay: kolaskis. Every year, kolaskis were a must for the cookie platters and those cookies were high maintenance. I found the recipe while writing this issue. Not many ingredients, but a lot of time goes into making them. You make the dough and then roll it into half inch balls and then chill overnight. You combine the filling ingredients. Then, you take each ball and roll it out in granulated sugar, place some filling, roll it up, and pinch together the ends.

Does anyone make cookies that are labor intensive anymore?

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Once I grew up, Mom and I got together and started baking Christmas cookies the weekend after Thanksgiving. We used to say the cookie factory is open for business.

Family and friends eagerly awaited the opening of the cookie factory.  She and I would plan out our strategy, choosing days solely committed to baking.  Aprons on, we blasted Christmas music and baked, rolled, and iced.

She loved to give away cookies, so the cookie factory would open and stay open for weeks before Christmas.  She’d load up the freezer with cookie after cookie.

We made sure that we had a variety of cookies for ourselves and for cookie platter gifts.  Mom made plates of cookies and delivered them throughout the holidays to friends, family, yes, but also to her doctor, her hairdresser, her mail carrier, and her dentist (I always loved that one).

She became known for her butter cookie cutouts.  At one point, she had a cupboard of cookie cutters so she could make them for whatever occasion, not just Christmas.  Hearts in February.  Footballs in September.  Pumpkins in October. They were in high demand.

Our childhood favorites that stayed in the mix were spritz, cream cheese cookies, and M & M cookies.  Cheesecake dreams were no longer in the rotation because my dad wasn’t.

She included new recipes for peanut butter blossoms, oatmeal cranberry white chocolate, raspberry almond thumbprints, and toffee shortbread.

I continue the tradition now and add my own cookies to the long list of favorites. Chocolate espresso snowcaps, gingersnaps, homemade marshmallows, and apple cranberry muffins.

I make sure that I have Christmas cookie cutters at the ready, lots of butter and cream cheese, and I bake my heart out.

Thanks again for reading! I care about you. Please don’t forget to eat your greens.