Courier tries: Cookie making

Photo credits by Avery Lichtenberg

When one thinks of Christmas, images of opening presents under the tree while listening to carols is usually what comes to mind. However, there is one part of Christmas that is superior to all other parts and even Santa Claus agrees: Christmas cookies.

Christmas cookie decorating first emerged as a holiday tradition in Switzerland in the 14th century. At the time, cookie cutters were made out of wood and were often shaped like Biblical figures, in order to spread Christianity, according to Wikipedia.org.

The modern cookie cutter and style of decoration began in the 17th century, when Dutch and German settlers brought their traditions to the United States. Since then, the cookies have progressed to be shaped in forms other than Biblical figures, such as stars and Christmas trees, and the decorations have become more customizable.

To get in the holiday spirit, the staff had a Christmas cookie decorating day. The entire staff pitched in to bring in cookies, frosting and other decorations.

There was a variety of frosting, including chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, and all types of sprinkles including colored sugar and different shapes.

The cookies were a range of shapes and textures. There were circular cookies that were thinner, thicker Christmas trees and angels and a few cookies that were a bit too well done.

My favorite cookie shape was the Christmas tree. Thanks to the generosity of the staff, I was able to decorate it with vanilla frosting, green sprinkles and other brightly-colored sprinkles for ornaments.

Flavor wise, the best cookies were the trees and angels. They were just the right thickness and were not over-baked. Furthermore, the tops of the cookies were perfectly smooth, making them excellent for decorating. On a scale of one to five ornaments with five being the best, this cookie achieved the highest score of five ornaments.

The circular cookies were second best because they were more crisp than firm. However, their lack of shape did not stop staff members from loading them with frosting and sprinkles and pretending they were ornaments. These cookies scored four ornaments out of five.

The worst cookies were the burnt cookies, due to their dark surfaces and crumbly texture. However, what they lacked in appearance they made up for in flavor, as they tasted just as sweet and sugary as the other cookies with the addition of frosting. Largely due to their appearance, these cookies earned three ornaments out of five.

Overall, the wide array of cookies, frosting and sprinkles, as well as the company made the day incredibly successful. I would have gladly eaten any combination of cookie and decoration.


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