Abby Grossmeyer Grossmeyer 1

Dr. Kim Lacey

English 111

19 September 2019

A Christmas Time Cookie Chronicle

Christmas time brings out the best of traditions within families all around the globe. For

my family, food is incorporated into each holiday tradition. One of these is making homemade

frosted sugar cookies. Beginning back when my great-grandmother came to the United States

from England, the labor-intensive tradition of making these cookies was formed. Every year, on

the second Saturday in December, we make Christmas cookies to distribute amongst ourselves

and friends as a form of appreciation and love. This has always been one of my favorite

traditions to partake in, but the experience I had last year took this to a whole new level.

When this tasty tradition came to be, the whole process was carried out by my great-

grandmother and her little family, including my grandmother. Since there were only four of

them, it was a day long commitment. First, the dough was prepared, cut into festive shapes, and

baked. Then, the frosting was made as the cookies cooled off. After, they had to be frosted

individually and topped with sprinkles. Allowing the frosting to dry before putting them away

was crucial. The last and toughest step was finding containers to put all the beautifully decorated

masterpieces in. Later, they would be enjoyed by many extended family members and friends.

Eventually, my grandmother grew up and formed a family of her own, so she kept the

special recipe in use every year by baking with her children. With the help of my grandpa, my

dad, and his three siblings, they were able to get the cookies finished quicker than the past

generation. Now, the cookie committee is made up of me, my three siblings, our parents, each of

our significant others, and some friends. The tradition that started as an all-day activity for a
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small family, is now 5-or 6-hour activity for friends and family thanks to better technology and

more willing help.

When I first began contributing to the process, my only desire was to frost and eat every

cookie I was given. The warm, soft sugar cookies were very tempting. Paired with our

homemade frosting and my favorite sprinkles, those freshly frosted warm cookies were

completely irresistible. How could I refrain? The sweet scents would waft through our house and

tempt anyone who walked in the door to taste the perfectly cooked festive cookies. As I continue

to grow older, I am more able to refrain from eating the delicious treat-partly due to the fact that

eating too many can be nauseating. Not eating my progress has allowed me to perfect the

strategy of frosting the cookies in a time-efficient manner; my siblings have learned this, too.

However, as a result of our efficiency, the process has quickened from when our family took on

the tradition, which makes my dad think we need to make more of them to fill the time. We

make too many every year, and, despite reminding him that we don’t need to make hundreds of

cookies, he persists in his wishes to spend the whole day rolling out the dough of cookies we

won’t eat.

When the Saturday comes every year, we have to decide what our task will be: rolling the

dough or frosting the cookies. Only my dad is allowed to mix the dough because mistakes cannot

be made in the family recipe. After this, though, all other parts of the process were open. When it

came to rolling the dough, I didn’t got the honor to join in until around the age of twelve because

I was the youngest of four. In addition to that, I mostly watched as my siblings cut the cookies

into holiday-themed shapes. At some point in the past, I expressed interest in baking, so it

became my job to make the frosting and help my dad in the kitchen, as the rest of my family

frosted cookies. Although the designs were fun to make, I didn’t mind getting out of the
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decorating portion because I was never fond of feeling the frosting on my fingers and spilling

sprinkles everywhere.

Last Christmas, on the second Saturday in December, we followed the same tradition as

we have every year. Except it was somehow better than years past. We were all together as a

family, which doesn’t happen often anymore because my siblings are growing up and moving

out. There is no better feeling than spending time with loved ones that you haven’t been with in a

while and feeling a deeper appreciation for them because of it. The minor squabbles and

bickering that occurred when we were younger were left in the past- only happy memories were

brought up. I cherished every moment of that day because I knew there wouldn’t be many more

like it. As holiday music often does, it seemed to put us in the perfect, cheery mood; everyone

was in harmony. That day wasn’t about how many cookies we could make or getting the perfect

arrangement of sprinkles like it had been before, it was about spending time together. We took

the time to look at the creations, laugh at the failed attempts decorating them, sing along to the

festive tunes, and even clean up our mess together. The new members of the cookie-making

committee, my boyfriend and my brother’s girlfriend, had added to the experience.

With these new additions to our family and to our committee, the unique techniques were

brought out. From doing this event so many years, my siblings and I were systematic about

decorating. We were all surprised when Melinda, my brother’s girlfriend, came to help and was

so precise with decorating each cookie. Picking up the sprinkles one by one, she placed them

perfectly for her desired pattern. This was particularly funny because it was such a stark contrast

from my brother and dad, who mostly throw the frosting on and dip them in the sprinkles.

Having those new people there really transformed a growingly dull tradition into a new event we
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can continue on with new people. The little things we noticed that day turned into memories that

will far outlast the cookies themselves.

I have come to appreciate the tradition of making Christmas cookies more and more as I

grow older. Looking back at all the memories from over the years, I am so thankful for times like

these that form the lifelong memories we cherish. This past year of making these cookies made

me realize the importance of traditions when connecting with people. Keeping this alive for the

years to come is my goal. When the time arrives for the next generation of cookie-makers to

come forward, I’m excited to have the opportunity to honor my ancestors through food,

memories, and tradition.