Abby Grossmeyer

Dr. Kim Lacey

English 111

12 December 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. The labor-intensive tradition of making these cookies began when my

great-grandmother came to the United States from England. 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 began, 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 individually

frosted 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. 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 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, 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, but 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, 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.