When I was growing up, it was an annual tradition for my mom and I to bake homemade sugar cookies, decorate them and then deliver them to widowers in our community. I loved the way the older men’s faces would light up when they opened the door to find us bearing treats. It was such a good feeling to “bake someone happy.” Delivering the cookies was just as much fun as spending time in the kitchen with my mom.
And making the cookies was lots of fun! I would don my own pint-sized apron as I attempted to frost the cookies. Mostly I watched in awe as my mom would “paint faces” on the Santa Clause cookies. She would literally use a paintbrush to put egg whites where Santa’s cheek should be and then sprinkle red sugar there. A marshmellow would make the ball on Santa’s hat. A red hot was used for his nose. Raisins were used for his eyes. Coconut flakes added dimension to his beard.
Although I’m not as artistic as my mom, I do continue the tradition of sharing home-baked cookies with widowers in our community. Last season my daughter and I delivered plates of home-made gingerbread muffins and pumpkin muffins, along with bags of egg nog- and and gingerbread-flavored teas. And as much as I love baking muffins, my favoite part is still making people smile when we deliver the goodies.
Do you have a special Christmas tradition or recipe you would like to share with the Latham community? We’d love to hear about it! Post your story/recipe below or send it by email to laurac@lathamseeds.com. All Latham dealers and customers who post a recipe or story in the month of December will receive a free gift! Contact Shannon for more information.