I am a cooker and not a baker. I can whip up a delicious shepherd’s pie or pork loin that simply melts in your mouth. As a child I never liked cookies as I had a gluten allergy which prohibited me from eating them. I tried baking with gluten free flour but my cakes never turned out or tasted as good so I simply gave up trying. This year my six year old asked to make cupcakes with mommy. Yikes! I was immediately transported in time to home economics class where all the cakes had risen to the occasion except mine. My son’s eyes grew bigger as he waited for me to answer his question. How could I say no to those big blue eyes. “Of course mommy will bake cupcakes” I told him, as I wiped the sweat from my brow.
My husband and I made sure the Christmas shopping and wrapping were done early this year and I dedicated today as “It’s never too late for baking cookies day”. We spent the afternoon baking and having fun decorating with our children. The kitchen counters were filled with ingredients and the dog was a happy helper licking any spilled mix or frosting that fell on the floor. We baked an assortment of cookies including gingerbread men, chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies; and decorated cupcakes with Christmas colored frosting and sprinkles. Today was a great day. The smiles and laughter we shared while making these special cookies showed me that it doesn’t matter how things turn out, you have to at least try and the results may surprise you. We shared our cookies with our next door neighbors and watched as our children rang their doorbells to deliver some very special cookies. For the special ingredient in these Christmas cookies… was love!