Most people who love to cook can trace the roots of their passion back to someone in their lives.
Traditions handed down are the best inheritance a person could receive. The month of December comes with so many traditions, my favorite being my late grandma Mutsi’s annual cookie swap and caroling party.
My favorite cookie to bake is called a Florentine.
It’s a lacy cookie with nuts and candied fruit. Once they are cooked and cooled, the bottoms are painted with bittersweet chocolate. As a child, I considered this a magical food. Mutsi would bake hundreds of cookies. She was a benevolent woman with a generous heart, and wouldn’t scold us too much for sneaking treats before the party began.
A cookie swap can be to sweet for some, and it’s a good idea to have other food options on hand.
This year, I am going to serve Taking Stock Ginger Turmeric Bone Broth. Hopefully, this new tradition will go over well. I will also make hundreds of Florentines to honor Mutsi’s memory. There will be some emotional moments as I make this magical food, my hands being an extension of her legacy. My hope is that you are able to reflect, with love and gratitude, on your family traditions this December as well.
