The madness of December

plus a recipe for the best gingerbread cookies

Why oh why is it that we try to cram so much into a single month?

Sure, it’s Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and concerts and markets and parades and parties and and and and….

It’s just too much.

Too much eating. Too little time. Too much self-imposed stress to try and get everything done by the time Santa scoots down the chimney. Even if you don’t celebrate any of the season’s festivities, you can’t help but be caught in the madness of it all.

That’s why I’m hitting the pause button and rethinking what’s on my plate in the month ahead. The lens? Does it bring me joy and fill me with the best of what December represents or does it result in a pit in my stomach?

I’d rather save myself the indigestion.

Choosing to be joyful

If you follow me over on Instagram, you may know that for the last few years I’ve kicked off December with a Cookbook Redux Advent Calendar. The idea was simple: every day for 25 days, I would shine a light on a cherished cookbook that has a special place on my shelf. A countdown to the holidays by celebrating cookbooks favoured by the Ghost of Christmas Past, if you will. ⁣
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But this year I’m giving up the ghost. Why squeeze all those beautiful cookbooks into a single month? Why not do cookbook reviews and shout outs throughout the year? Watch this space in 2024 as I take a new approach to sharing my cookbook love (and if you’re curious about what I’ve featured in the past, you can see the previous threads here, here and here).

⁣I’m also giving myself permission to hit the send button on Delicious Bits on a day other than Sunday. You may or may not see me in your inbox next week at this time, but I promise to pop in with a delicious recipe and a story every week just the same—be it a Monday, Thursday or Saturday.

A happy place

Of course, with 2024 around the corner, we can’t help but think ahead and also reflect on the past. Just about three years ago to the day, I published my first issue of Delicious Bits. I didn’t know it at the time, but it has become a place of joy in my week, as I take time to share what’s on my plate, literally and figuratively. I’m so glad you’ve been with me on that journey.

In the days and weeks ahead, be good to yourself. Choose the things that bring meaning and happiness to you, not through obligation, but through truly sharing the abundance of this crazy holiday season. We’ll breathe a sigh of relief when it’s over, but we’ll have a bushel full of memories to sustain us in the months ahead.

The best gingerbread cookies

makes about 60 cookies*

To celebrate the holidays, there’s nothing better than homemade gingerbread cookies, made even more special with a personal touch. This was the first recipe I shared in the inaugural issue of Delicious Bits, and it’s worth repeating.

This recipe originally appeared in a local magazine. Over the years, I’ve changed the quantities and added new spices until I think they’re just about perfect.

*The yield is entirely dependant on the size of the cookie cutters used.  Naturally, the smaller the cutter the greater the yield, but you are also limiting your ability to later personalise the cookies.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons powdered ginger

4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoons ground cloves

6 cups all purpose flour

1 cup vegetable shortening

1¾ cups brown sugar

1¼ cups white sugar

2 tablespoons dark molasses

3 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Sift together the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and flour.  Set aside. 

3. In a stand mixer, cream together the shortening, the two sugars and molasses until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.  Add the eggs slowly - one at a time – stirring on low until fully creamy before adding the next egg.

4. Add a little of the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients, incorporating fully before adding more.  When the dough begins to stiffen, begin alternating flour mixture with milk, until both are incorporated.  Mix until a dough is formed.  Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, about a ¼ inch thick (tip: roll out directly onto Silpat mats to avoid handling, or waxed paper for easier transfer to your baking sheet).  Cut out gingerbread with cookie cutters.  If you intend to use the cookies as ornaments, form a hole at the top of the cookie using a straw or chopstick, about a ¼ inch from the top. 

6. Bake cookies until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.  They may be slightly soft when you take them out of the oven; they will firm up as they cool. Cool on racks and store until ready to decorate.