By Jené DeSpain, December 20, 2019
As far back as I can remember, my parents have been passionate about hosting. From the color scheme of the table setting to the guest list to the dessert platters, my parents love to throw a party. The epitome of their annual events was always the Cookie Party my Mother threw every December on the evening of the 2nd Saturday of the month. She would carefully select 11 of her friends, have each one of them submit a cookie recipe for her pre-approval, and host everyone over for a festive exchange of all of the spectacular cookies. Each guest had to bring 13 dozen of their home baked, special cookie on holiday plates, 12 to be given to each of the guests and then a 13th to be sampled by everyone at the party. After the evening, the 11 bakers would go home with a dozen of each of the cookies, bringing their holiday sugar haul to a total of 144 cookies to be gifted and devoured over the next few weeks. The exchange was well known and loved by my parents’ social circle, and was a highlight of the season though out my childhood. My two sisters and I would savor the evening’s arrival every early December. As it’s been quite some time since I’ve been home to indulge in this celebration, the memories of this annual festivity remain at the core of my experience of this beloved time of year. I’ve attempted to re-create the magic of my Mother’s cookies each December in my own homes, focusing more on the delights of decorating them rather than their taste. While I don’t have the baker’s touch of my Momma, I’ve discovered the powerful thrill of mixing my own frosting colors and the intricacies of sprinkles application.
If you’re feeling like rolling out some cookie dough and filling your home with the smell of childhood holidays, give this recipe a try:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10402/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/
While they might not be as decadent as a 3 layer meyer lemon bar w lavender icing, these cuties will bring you hours of creative unwinding in your kitchen. I recommend the Nina Simone/Nat King Cole holiday mix on Spotify for your background tunes. Happy Holidays!
