I love the scent of December—frosty air filling the outdoors, fresh pine visiting the indoors and cookies baking in an over-worked oven, all of which awaken thoughts of holidays past and underscore the excitement for building another season of memories.
As I prepared this month’s Tastemakers article, which features two local bakers who graciously offer a few of their go-to holiday cookie recipes, I thought about the first cookie that I recall baking as a child. If you don’t count Pie Crust Cookies (If you know, you know.), it has to be Snickerdoodles, straight out of well-worn version of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book. And I probably didn’t do much of the work when it came to baking those cinnamon-sugar meets tangy sweeties, since I was likely in the kitchen with a sister or two or three or four! I was likely relegated to rolling the dough balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Snickerdoodles were standard in our house, even more so than Chocolate Chip Cookies (rarely) or Frosted Sugar Cookies (Easter). But they retreated during December when my mom’s regular cookie lineup was called into action.
Not so long ago, I decided to bake a batch of Snickerdoodles, but I made a big mistake. Confession time—I messed with Betty’s recipe. I tweaked it, trying to replicate a Levain Bakery-inspired cookie. The bakery has popped up nationwide, but I first tried its cookies in New York City. They are big and decadent and delicious. I set about creating my own version of a Levain-leaning Chocolate Chip Cookie. I was blissfully successful, so I thought I could do the same for the Snickerdoodle—elevating it to new heights (literally). Sadly, my version went from the oven to the waste bin in quick order.
I learned a lesson: Use caution when altering traditions. Readers, you know that our family has gone through its happy evolution when it comes to the holidays, but as for those cookie recipes that hold so many fond memories our family—I think stick to the versions that came from those who had a hand in my early baking experiences—my grandma, my mom and, naturally, Betty!
From all of us at Local, happy and merry holidays,
—Renée Stewart-Hester
