So, my dad’s mom, Gramma Keck, who passed away 6 ½ years ago, used to make the most wonderful Christmas cookies. I’ve got to be honest… I can’t necessarily say that these cookies taste any better than any other cookie I’ve ever had, but there’s something about the thin, crunchy, sweet, iced cookie that makes me smile. I’m usually a soft cookie kind of girl, but there’s an exception to every rule, right? When Gramma Keck could no longer make them, my Aunt Barbara (whose b-day I share) took on the tradition. There have been a few years that I haven’t been able to make it to the Keck Family Christmas in NC, and I always get sad that I won’t get to eat the cookies. 10 or 11 years ago, when I was still in high school (yes, I’m getting old,) my friend, Cassie, and I made them together. They’re not like my favorite white chocolate island cookies where you can mix everything together, roll them into balls, and toss them on a cookie sheet to bake. Gramma Keck’s cookies take at least 2 days, 3 if you don’t have much extra time on your hands. The dough has to be made a day in advance and refrigerated overnight. Once they’ve spent enough time chillin’, the dough has to be rolled out and rolled out and rolled out, and did I mention that the dough has to be rolled out? It involves a flour cloth, a rolling pin, and lots of flour to avoid the dough sticking to places and surfaces that it shouldn’t. Then it involves cookie cutters, and then they’re finally ready to bake. While a batch is baking, [the cookies are so thin that there’s such an abundance of dough that] you start rolling and rolling and rolling and flouring and flouring and flouring all over again. If you have more time to spend in the kitchen or can bare to spend more time in the kitchen, they can be iced the same day they’re baked, but only after they’ve cooled, of course. Fear not, I will post pictures of these cookies, and yes, I realize I’ve promised to post pictures at least once or twice already and haven’t followed through. It might be after Christmas, but you’ll still get pictures.
I’ve had the intention of making these cookies each year since Cassie and I made them back in 1998 or 1999, but I haven’t had 2-3 consecutive days to do so. I’m usually traveling to SC, or Mama is traveling here, so there hasn’t been a good year to follow through. Now that I’m married, I have vowed to myself that this will be a tradition. Come hell or high water, these cookies will get made each year, and I can’t wait to make them with my children one day. Last night was night 1 of either 2 or 3. It’s probably the easiest night because it just involves making the dough. I know for a fact that I put nutmeg in my shopping cart last week because I remember standing there trying to find it amidst all the spices that were not alphabetized, mind you. What I do not know is if I actually got the nutmeg from the cart to the scanner to the bag to my car and into our apt. I couldn’t find it anywhere last night and don’t remember bringing it home last week. However, not remembering doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen. My precious husband was kind enough to offer to go to Publix for me at 8:50pm. I couldn’t proceed with mixing till I had the nutmeg, so I rode with him. He said it defeated the purpose of him going for me if I was going to go with him, but I quickly convinced him that there’s nothing more he’d rather do at close-to-9pm on a Monday night than join his wife on a trip to Publix, so off we went, and fun we had. I love being married to John Sims.
We typically go to dinner with friends on Tuesday night, so when Emily mentioned it yesterday, I had to find a way to squeeze my baking in tonight. Time is closing in on us, as we’re leaving for SC on Thursday afternoon. Solution: invite everyone over for chili tonight instead of going out. That way, I can both socialize and bake. If any of my friends owned a flour cloth and a rolling pin, I could’ve asked them to join in on the fun, but they’ll probably just end up watching me instead. I’m fine with that. It’ll be fun to have the company while John and the boys chat, watch tv, and do boy things, which will probably include asking for a cookie before the night is over. I love my boy, and I love the friends God has blessed us with.
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