Christmas Cookies Across the Generations
I can remember my mother baking Christmas cookies -- my most vivid memory is of the Springerle drying overnight on the ironing board. I make Springerle now too although I allow mine to dry overnight right on the cookies sheet. I would love to show you a picture of these hard anise cookies but alas, they have gone the way of most all of the cookies....they are consumed!
Another family favorite is Aunt Gerty's Ice Box Cookies. Here is a picture of the recipe written in my mother's hand. Aunt Gerty was actually my Great Aunt Gerty, sister to my maternal grandmother. To me she was always a very frail short woman who had a ready smile and hug whenever we would visit. She and another maiden aunt, Aunt Della, lived with my Grandmother so when we visited Grandma, we also visited Aunt Gerty and Aunt Della. The recipe dates from the days of iceboxes -- way before my time : ) These are among the favorite cookies of my sons. If you look closely at the ratio of sugar (3 cups) to flour (4 cups) I think you'll get an idea of why they are popular. To my grandchildren, these would be Great-great-great-Aunt Gerty's Ice Box Cookies.
When we first got married, my dear sister-in-law, Mickee and I got together to bake Christmas cookies. I know my mother-in-law was there and probably one or two other sisters of my husband. We played carols on the stereo (yes, it was a stereo then), baked and split a treasure trove of cookie cutters. That tradition continues today although now I am baking with my daughters-in-law and their children. Here they are gathered around the KitchenAid mixer as we start our 2 day marathon cookie baking extravaganza. We ended up baking over 60 dozen cookies. They were split between our 3 homes, our head Pastor, several neighbors and plates for parties we would be attending.
My mother-in-law joined us this year and slept for the first several hours....I have a similar picture of her son, my dear husband, in the same pose : ) After her rest, she did enjoy lunch with us and the hustle and bustle of her great grandchildren playing under foot. Of course, she also enjoyed sampling the many kinds of cookies.
Here are some of the cookies which have survived this long. Great Aunt Gerty's cookies are in the very center of the plate. If you stop by, I just might let you taste one : )
Another family favorite is Aunt Gerty's Ice Box Cookies. Here is a picture of the recipe written in my mother's hand. Aunt Gerty was actually my Great Aunt Gerty, sister to my maternal grandmother. To me she was always a very frail short woman who had a ready smile and hug whenever we would visit. She and another maiden aunt, Aunt Della, lived with my Grandmother so when we visited Grandma, we also visited Aunt Gerty and Aunt Della. The recipe dates from the days of iceboxes -- way before my time : ) These are among the favorite cookies of my sons. If you look closely at the ratio of sugar (3 cups) to flour (4 cups) I think you'll get an idea of why they are popular. To my grandchildren, these would be Great-great-great-Aunt Gerty's Ice Box Cookies.
When we first got married, my dear sister-in-law, Mickee and I got together to bake Christmas cookies. I know my mother-in-law was there and probably one or two other sisters of my husband. We played carols on the stereo (yes, it was a stereo then), baked and split a treasure trove of cookie cutters. That tradition continues today although now I am baking with my daughters-in-law and their children. Here they are gathered around the KitchenAid mixer as we start our 2 day marathon cookie baking extravaganza. We ended up baking over 60 dozen cookies. They were split between our 3 homes, our head Pastor, several neighbors and plates for parties we would be attending.
My mother-in-law joined us this year and slept for the first several hours....I have a similar picture of her son, my dear husband, in the same pose : ) After her rest, she did enjoy lunch with us and the hustle and bustle of her great grandchildren playing under foot. Of course, she also enjoyed sampling the many kinds of cookies.
Here are some of the cookies which have survived this long. Great Aunt Gerty's cookies are in the very center of the plate. If you stop by, I just might let you taste one : )
posted by Presbytera @ 10:15 PM
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