These Easter Egg Cookies may look all blinged-out but underneath the over-the-top embellishments lies a familiar classic: ye old chocolate chip cookie. There’s no rule that says only cutout sugar cookies can be decorated for Easter. Enter the humble, but well-loved, chocolate chip cookie — shaped like an Easter egg, covered with chocolate or royal icing and decorated to the hilt.

My daughter-in-law makes beautiful challah, the traditional braided bread so popular at Jewish celebrations. That made me curious about what kinds of foods might be associated with Passover, which begins on April 8TH this year. Being a cookie baker, I naturally gravitated toward the sweet end of the spectrum. When I discovered Matzo Crack, I had to give it a try. All I can say is “a-MAZ-ing!” Think of it as a combination candy and bar cookie, leaning more toward the candy side.

One of our deacons celebrated his Silver Anniversary as a deacon this year and that called for cookies, of course. Why doves? Well, doves bring to mind peace and inspiration and are a common symbol of the Holy Spirit. And silver, of course, is traditionally associated with a 25TH anniversary. So those two elements naturally inspired these dove-shaped cookies decorated with silver embellishments. Thank you for your service, Deacon! May you continue to be filled with God’s grace.