For me, Christmas begins with cookies. Many of my Christmas memories involve baking cookies. In my family, the baking usually started the weekend after Thanksgiving. Although we have left the nest, my two sisters and I continue our family tradition usually with a weekend baking reunion.
When I began working as a farm veterinarian in Hanover County, I decided the best way to show my appreciation for my clients during the holidays is to share Christmas cookies with them. So, I began baking (and baking, and baking!) a variety of cookies and packaging them in festive red and green containers.
During a typical holiday season, I bake approximately 1,000 cookies! Now I love getting my children involved with carrying on the tradition. Not only are they cute kitchen helpers, but spending time with them is so much more fun than frantically cruising the stores for gifts. My clients have come to look forward to my December visits with cookies in hand. And I appreciate the fact that baking cookies would not be possible without the products my farm clients work so hard to produce — a typical baking session starts with at least eight pounds of butter! I can't think of a better way to show farmers how grateful I am to work with them.
Whether you want to enjoy cookies year round or begin your own Christmas cookie traditions, I'm sharing one of my favorite easy cookie recipes as my gift to you. Enjoy!