This morning I started gathering and measuring ingredients for a few of t
he cookie recipes I like to make at Christmas. I was afraid to start mixing them and actually cooking, afraid I would make a mistake, with so many distractions of carpenters and tile-setters coming and going, asking questions.
The truck that brought the new sheet rock had a boom so long and mighty that it reached all the way from the street up to the second-story window, which was the easiest route in. The delivery was two hours late, so it arrived about the same time as the contractor and the inspector.
While the inspector was here I was on pins and needles from the suspense; she was returning to inspect the “corrections” she had noted on Monday. I opened the door to the wet back garden and looked out there without seeing, and prayed. It is scary what power these inspectors have, and in California the building code provides a endlessly shifting and growing body of regulations to draw from so that it is easy to find lots of things that need correcting, which translates to extra hours and money fixing things that aren’t broken. But enough about that — I started out wanting to talk about cookies!
And sugar. I know that sugar is BAD, but I find it hard to come down too hard on the stuff, partly because I have a historical family interest in C&H (California and Hawaiian) Sugar Company, for which my great uncle was a chemist.
Have you heard that cane sugar is better for you (or, more precisely, not as bad for you!) and makes better-tasting baked goods than beet sugar? I don’t know if either or both of those are true or myths. But I do always buy C&H cane, when I am buying white sugar.
When I poured a fresh bag into my sugar jar today I noted how pretty it is. I wonder if I ever showed you the jar that I have kept sugar in for decades; it came from my husband’s family’s cabin where I think they were using it for sugar when I first saw it.
Do you remember this picture from when I was in India,
of women buying coarse sugar from bulk bins?
This year I’m experimenting with making a few of my traditional cookies gluten-free, for the sake of a family member who I’d like to be able to eat them. But when it comes to sweetening, I don’t worry whether it’s fructose or sucrose or honey or beets — I just try to keep the sweetness to a minimum so we can taste the butter and other interesting flavors.
I eventually got the dough made for the Ginger Spice cookies, but I haven’t got one cookie into the oven yet. The kinds that I’ve started measuring out ingredients for are:
Chunky Ginger Spice
Double Pecan Thumbprints
Apricot Macaroons
I was going to link you to the recipes…. Oops — I’ve never transcribed the recipes here! But the link on the Thumbprints above will take you to the recipe eventually. The photo of a cookie platter at top is from a few years ago. I hope tomorrow I can make a little more progress. It soothes my nerves to bake Christmas cookies.
The inspector signed off on all the corrections. She was surprised that “we” were able to get them done so fast. 🙂 I wish I’d had a plate of cookies to give her as she went out the door.
Gladsome Lights 
That’s a delicious plate of cookies in your first photo. Hooray for passing the inspection! Enjoy your cookie baking. I hope to get to some this weekend.
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What a relief to have passed the inspection! I drool at the sight of your plate of Christmas cookies and realise I must get into gear soon – my youngest grandchildren will be here in less than two weeks. Somehow festive baking doesn’t come as easily in the heat as it does during the winter months, but bake I must for the family has expectations …
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Love, love, love. The cookies, our shared memories of baking some of the same recipes, watching your exquisite concentration and organization, seeing the progress of your brave remodeling project…. You have inspired me to finish my shopping and wrapping and get going on my own cookies. It IS therapeutic!
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We had lovely cookies at book club yesterday. I am holding off because I can’t resist them and I don’t want to get any plumper. I’m glad things are getting done for the remodel. I bet it IS a bit stressy. God be with you, good friend. LOVE!
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What a delicious sounding post. I loved the photo of your tray of yummy looking cookies. Such a nice selection from which to choose a toothsome treat.
Interesting note about the beet vs cane sugars. Will have to ferret out more info about that.
Wishing you a beautiful baking day and a wonderful weekend ahead.
Brenda xox
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I’m so glad the inspector signed off the corrections-phew!!!!
I didn’t know that about sugar- so interesting! I don’t know so much about sugar though I did enjoy the part of the history of sugar that I saw at the Bruges Chocolate museum in October!
Your cookies look delicious!
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I like your sugar jar and the fact that it has a history!! Your cookies look great. I can see that making them could keep your mind off what’s happening upstairs. At least the inspector passed all the corrections. Now if only the gyp-rock gets put up quickly… Is there hope that they’ll leave the place habitable for Christmas?
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Your cookies look marvelous. I’m about to set off on a cookie making day tomorrow. I’ve found some that sound wonderful, including Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Pecan Pie Cookies, and Cocoa Loco. I’ve already made some chocolate chip (staples here) and some shortbread. We are planning to take some containers of cookies to lots of people we know as a surprise next week.
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When I read your title, I assumed the “cookies and code” reference was related to computers. Funny, how the same words can carry such different meanings, although computer cookies apparently got their name from our more delicious cookies.
There probably won’t be any cookie baking here, given the chaos of my recent move. On the other hand, I do know where my mixer, bowls, and cookies sheets are, and I bought ten pounds of flour yesterday, so who knows? Tradition may yet assert itself!
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My cookie baking is on the restrained side, because of my own chaos, and this time I won’t be making those wonderful black walnut cookies you let me in on. But I imagine that they would be near the top of your list if you did succumb to tradition…?
As soon as I can start putting my house even partly back together, I won’t be needing to soothe my nerves with baking, so the next few days, and my freezer, is all I’ve got for that project.
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I do remember that photo of the Indian women! – didn’t realize they were buying sugar. Do they not have white sugar available there? I never buy beet sugar, but I had thought it was better than cane. Still, it’s all bad and I don’t like to think about it. I eat way less of it than I used to – am aware now what it does to you and very much more mindful what I put into my mouth.
The weather here is icing all day, the library is closed, and God has given me another day! Maybe I can catch up on my Christmas cards and mix up another batch of cookies!
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I made 3 batches of snowball cookies this year, and that was all. I admire your cookie enthusiasm each Christmas, GJ!!
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