C is for Christmas Cookie

Hello Folks!!!

"Christmas cookies and happy hearts, this is how the holiday starts!" Tucking all those cookies into your tummy, soon you will fit into Santa's costume. Ho Ho Ho!

Cookies, cookies, the baker's pride!!!

Have you heard of  the 'Baker's Dozen'? There are many stories behind this legend, so I will narrate to you the one passed down to me. Well then, sit back and enjoy reading.

Long ago, in a Dutch colonial town, the present Albany in New York, there lived an honest baker, well known for his Saint Nicholas Cookies. His shop used to be busy throughout the year and even more busy on days before December 6, St. Nicholas Day, when people flocked to his shop to buy those perfect cookies.

Every morning, before he would start to bake, he would check his weights and balances and give exactly what his customers paid for. Never more, never less. However, one morning, there came an old woman in a yellow dress, who asked him for a dozen of his famous cookies. The baker correctly counted 12 cookies, iced in red and white, and started to wrap them. The woman curtly said, "I want a dozen cookies and you give me only 12?" The baker was an honest man, and told her that a dozen was 12 and if she wanted any more cookies, she must pay more. The woman got upset and told him, "you may keep those cookies" and before she left, she stopped at the door and said, " however honest you may be, your heart is small and your fist is tight. Learn how to count again!" and she was gone.

Ever since that day, it looked like misfortune had fallen upon the baker. His bread never rose, or they rose too high and floated out through the chimney. Sometimes, his pies would turn too sour or too sweet, his cookies would be too hard to bite into and his cakes would be burnt. As months passed by, the baker became poorer and poorer. It looked like there was no end to this bad luck. 

It was St. Nicholas Day once again. The baker woke early that morning, rolled his dough and checked his balances. He had just prepared his first batch of cookies and was icing them red and white. Unexpectedly, the door flew open and in came the same old lady in the yellow dress. She said, "I have come for a dozen of your St. Nicholas Cookies". The baker happily counted 12 cookies and popped in one more, then neatly wrapped them and gave it to the woman. The woman said "Very well, you have learnt to count now! You shall be greatly rewarded". She paid for the cookies and slowly walked towards the door. However, the baker couldn't believe his eyes!!! Was he fooled by his eyes? Was he day dreaming? He saw, the tail end of a red cloak from the back of the woman's dress!!!

From that day onwards, the baker was rewarded! When he started giving 13 cookies for a dozen, the news of his shop travelled far and wide. He saw many more customers enter his shop every year and he grew wealthy. From then on, a baker's dozen was thirteen.

Ever since my sister and I heard this story, when we bake Christmas cookies, we make sure we share it with all our neighbours and friends. Anyways, happiness is real only when shared!

RECIPE

For the Cookie

1.All-purpose flour – 1 ½ cups

2.Egg – 1 large

3.Sugar – ½ cup

4.Unsalted butter – 6 tbsp

5.Vanilla essence – ½ tsp

6.Salt- ½ tsp

7.Baking powder – ½ tsp

For the Icing

1.Boiled water – 3-4 tbsp

2.Caster sugar – 1 cup

3.Food colour

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Whisk the butter and flour together until it becomes pale and creamy. Then, add the egg and vanilla essence.

2.In another  bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients in step 1 and mix gently. If the batter is too sticky to roll out shapes, add some flour and not too much or else it will become too tough.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

4. Sprinkle a surface with flour and roll out some dough in ¼ inch thickness. Cut out desirable shapes and place the cookies not too close on a buttered baking tray.

5.Bake for 10 minutes at 180°C. When baked, they become golden on the edges and remain soft and pale at the centre.

6.Let the cookies cool completely. Once they are cooled, you can start icing.

7.Put some caster sugar into the not very hot boiled water and mix together. It should become a paste consistency. Then add some food colouring.

8.You can start icing your sugar cookies now and don’t forget to share them with your friends!!!