Reflecting on my annual festive baking rituals, I’ve discovered that gifts of home baking show love, acceptance, and trigger sweet nostalgia. More than simply satisfying a sweet tooth, these aromatic goodies carry the power to evoke cherished memories and continue family traditions. While I initially started baking as a joyful Christmas activity, it has since evolved into a deeply meaningful tribute to my mother and mother-in-law.
Preserving Family Recipes
My journey with cookies began about 30 years ago. The first recipe I made was my husband’s favourite, Oma’s Jam Cookies – a delightful sugar cookie with jam sandwiched between two layers. I vividly recall sitting with my mother-in-law, scribbling down her instructions.
Over the years, I’ve added several varieties to my holiday baking list. Notable among these are German classics such as vanillekipferl (crescent-shaped biscuits dusted with icing sugar), pfeffernussen (a round, chewy, spicy cookie) and lebkuchen (a gingerbread cookie topped with melted chocolate). I also make shortbread, eggnog cookies and Italian ricotta cookies. This year, I stumbled across my mom’s recipe for thimble cookies rolled in crushed corn flakes, a delightful addition that brought back warm memories of her baking.
The Power of Home Baking
Home-baking is a simple act of giving that holds immense power. It can express love, acceptance, forgiveness, and even evoke happy memories. In my early years of baking, I never put much thought into this, I was just baking cookies for Christmas gifting. However, retirement and the time spent rolling out cookie dough has allowed room for these deeper thoughts to emerge.
Each year, my husband and I look forward to packing homemade cookies in tins and mailing them to our loved ones across the country. We often joke about using milk cartons instead of tins, a sweet reference to the parcels we received from John’s parents each December, filled with varieties of cookies that reflect their European heritage.
Passing on the Tradition
One year, the much-anticipated parcel didn’t arrive. We later learnt that a family dispute had caused my mother-in-law to stop her annual baking. The memory of receiving those treats in a carefully washed milk carton remains a bittersweet memory. As I age, I sometimes wonder how many more years I will have the energy to continue this tradition myself.
But for now, the aroma of cookies baking, the joy of packing them in tins, and the anticipation of sharing them with loved ones keeps me going. The sweet nostalgia that accompanies this tradition is something we cherish and hope to pass on to future generations.
Cathy Sands Unruh is a passionate home baker and writer based on Vancouver Island. She has been baking and sharing her homemade cookies for over three decades, continuing a family tradition that brings joy and nostalgia.
