The holiday season is arguably the most exciting time of the year. My holidays typically consist of my aunts, uncles, and all my cousins gathering together at my Grandmother’s house for dinner or brunch. Unfortunately, these celebrations have been canceled due to COVID-19. Evidently, it is neither safe nor manageable for our typical party of 30-40 people to gather this year. Although I realize that this is disappointing, as I, like many, rely on the company of my loved ones during this time, I am hopeful that we all can find ways to enjoy the holidays this year.
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the festive food. I find that meals around the holidays are often a great way to bond and catch up with each other, whether that be during the meal itself or the actual meal preparation. Although we might not be able to enjoy the food with all our family and friends, we are still more than capable of enjoying these foods on our own or in smaller groups. One of my favorite things I would do when I was little was help my Grandmother bake cookies. Every year she bakes batches upon batches of all different types of cookies for each guest to take home at the end of the night. It is one of my favorite traditions. My Grandmother is the most amazing cook and baker. She makes all her cookies from scratch, none of which disappoint. One of my favorite cookies that she makes are her snickerdoodles. I encourage you to try them out for yourself as I have attached the recipe below.
You will need: 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar (divided), 1 cup of butter softened, 2 eggs, 2 ¾ cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, and 84 pecan halves.
Once you have all the ingredients, combine 1 ½ cup of sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Beat at a low speed until a soft dough forms. Split the dough into two halves, cover, and chill 1-2 hours. Special note from Grandma: you can freeze the dough for up to one month!
When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Shape the dough into 1” balls. My grandmother recommends a scoop. Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the cookies 2” apart on a cookie sheet. Put a pecan half in the center of each and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 1 minute before removing from the sheet and enjoy!
Other than enjoying my Grandma’s cookies, I plan on spending my holidays watching my favorite holiday movies, especially the ones of Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas countdown. Some of my favorites include Christmas with the Kranks, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and of course, Elf. I am definitely looking forward to hitting the slopes in Vermont and New Hampshire with high school and college friends. I think it is important to remember that although you may be apart from a lot of your family, you can still get into the holiday spirit. You can still dress up, enjoy the snow, practice your religion if you’re religious, and celebrate. I encourage you to, at the least, relax. You have worked so hard and have made it both through the end of the year and the end of another semester of college. That is a huge accomplishment! Although it may be at a distance, I promise we can all find a way to enjoy the holidays in a safe and fun way. I hope you enjoy the cookies!