COIMBATORE: The number of stories I read about Christmas and the midnight visitor through the chimney kept me fascinated by Santa Claus and his favourite snack of milk and cookies. That’s how the interest in baking came about. Mom had this lovely red cookbook that featured only cookies, especially the Christmas kind. Sugar cookies, peppermint candy canes, melt-in-the-mouths, cinnamon swirls and Florentines all jumped out of the pages in vivid Technicolor. I remember the jubilation when I first baked a perfect golden cookie with no burnt edges.
It’s great when you associate food with a certain time of the year. Those memories go a long way. That’s exactly why, come what may, the cookie cutters are brought out every December to make the simple Christmas cut-out sugar cookies. To be honest, cookies that need to be rolled and cut are not my favourite. I prefer ones that can be dolloped or piped. During the rest of the year, I’m happy to relegate that activity to anyone else who offers to do so. But not at Christmas.
Friends and family know my love for cute baking paraphernalia. Those visiting during the winter holidays fill their bags with special knickknacks for me. So I have star cutters of three kinds. Then there are monster cookie cutters shaped like Santa’s hat, reindeer, a Christmas tree, a snow man, a rocking horse and a bell. I love the Christmas tree the most and so do the children. They have no tiny corners that can break off and are easy to decorate.
Sugar cookies are made by mixing flour, butter and sugar with or without egg. At home we make both versions but the eggless one is quicker. The original recipe used all-purpose flour with butter and sugar but I use wholemeal flour or millet flour along with my favourite aromatics. It doesn’t change the taste of the cookie but makes it a lot healthier. For that delicious smell, I choose between real vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, citrus rind or rose water. There are many variations one can make with this simple batter.
If you don’t want to cut them into shapes, make small discs. Pinch off small bits, roll into a ball, place on a sheet and flatten with the thumb. Try pressing an almond, walnut or pecan in the middle or making a crisscross pattern with a fork.
These cookies have a good quantity of butter so there’s no need to grease the cookie tray. They will lift right off once baked and cooled. But they are a bit low on sugar, so they need some sort of glaze or sugar dusting. The glaze makes for a fun activity for kids. One Christmas, my long pine table was covered with newspapers and colourful mats. Each kid was given a small container with cookies, a wooden ice cream stick and an apron. Bowls of coloured icing (green, red and white only), plenty of seasonal sprinkles and a helping hand was all they needed. They ate as much icing as they smeared on the cookie. I got a message some days ago that a friend’s four-year-old from Delhi wants to spread Christmas with us. It made all the baking worthwhile. Give it a try. Spoil Father Christmas for a change.
