Animals

Thanksgiving was a little bit unusual this year for us — as I’m sure it was for everyone else in the world. So the cookies had to be quirky, too. This little guy was the perfect addition to our dessert table, which also consisted of other new things like gingerbread pudding cake and chocolate mousse bars. No pie? Nope. Not this year. You see, the only kind of pie we all like is banana cream pie, which just didn’t seem like the right pie for the occasion. Enter this goofy-looking turkey cookie to save the day by providing a smile and a sugar rush.

I’m dreaming of the sea...the sand...the waves...the gulls... the shells. I don't think I can stay away much longer. Even a drive-by encounter might be enough to restore my sense of belonging to a world where nothing is more important than a cool breeze and the endless blue sea. Oh for the joys of finding a sand dollar that the tide has tumbled and tossed at my feet. A beach cookie might be a nice substitute for the real thing until the beach is open for visitors.

I had so much fun decorating Easter sugar cookies a few weeks ago that I decided that it was time to bring out the spring cookie cutters and make a few dozen edible flowers and butterflies. What better way to bring Mother Nature’s exuberance inside than to bake cookies in shapes inspired by her and decorate them to pay homage to her designs.

“Be honest, be nice, be a flower not a weed.” Aaron Neville

Easter came even though we were hidden away. Easter came even though there were no hymns to celebrate its arrival. Easter came in spite of the mandate to keep our distance. And to bring joy to me and mine, I made cutout cookies by the dozens in shapes that remind me of life’s glory and abundance ... butterflies, eggs, bunnies, crosses, flowers, sheep, carrots (yes, carrots!). In spite of the craziness of our current situation, I sent out dozens of cheerful sugar cookies as sweet messengers of hope to those I love.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate the decorated cookie. No one really expects cookies for this holiday. They’re too busy looking for the pie, right? At least that’s the way it is in my family. This year, I just had to give in to the call of the turkey-shaped cookie cutter. The only reason I’ve resisted for the past few years is because of the color brown...yes, the color brown. Up to now, I haven’t been able to achieve the perfect shade of brown for the noble bird.

Turkeys and pumpkins are the classic shapes for Thanksgiving cutout cookies. They can be crazy or elegant, but decorating them reminds me that this is the time to think about all the people I’m thankful to have in my life. My favorite way to let them know how much they mean to me is to give them cookies. On the “big day” the dessert table may be loaded with pies, but when it’s time to go home, everyone leaves with a cookie or two for the road. There’s always room for a cookie. Right?

Summer means time at the beach...playing in the ocean, combing the shore for sea shells, burying your feet in the warm sand...ah-h-h. For me, baking and decorating “beach cookies” brings all that to mind. I wish you all a wonderful summer...even if it’s still December and there’s snow on the ground! A plate of beach cookies always brings summer into someone’s day.

Easter brings a lot of joy when it finally arrives. I have fond memories of new clothes, new shoes, and hunting for Easter eggs in the backyard. As a child, I was always fascinated by the beautifully decorated sugar eggs that held a tiny scene inside, usually of bunnies and flowers. How did that bunny get in there? Yeah, Easter is not really about rabbits and decorated eggs, but they do symbolize the true meaning of the season...abundant life and new beginnings made possible by God’s unimaginable love.

Several years ago I bought some old-fashioned tin animal cookie cutters in a local antique store with no real idea in mind of how I’d use them. They were larger than I normally use, but I liked their shapes and the variety of animals. I finally brought them out for my “Christmas Comes to the Zoo” project and they became some of my favorite shapes ever.

Easter is my favorite springtime holiday. After a long winter, it’s such a joy to see all the flowers beginning to bloom and fill the garden with color and elegance. I also like decorating Easter cookies because all the shapes that match this season symbolize new and abundant life...bunnies, butterflies, flowers, ducklings, etc. The pastel colors are soft and dreamy, too. Such a lovely time of the year.