Today I’m going to talk about another lost art – Christmas cards being the first – Christmas baking.
I’m heartened to know that there remains a crowd who keep the tradition of working diligently on a variety of baked goods and then piecing it all together in delicious care packages alive. I know it because I’ve started to become the recipient of them.
I have memories from childhood of my mom diligently following recipe after recipe and carefully stuffing cookie tin after cookie tin before we set out to deliver the goodies to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and friends. I also remember my brother and I taking some of these same tins to school to thank our teachers before we broke for the holidays.
Over the last few years, I’ve started to have these kinds of packages delivered to me at work and it always makes me so happy. When you have a professional relationship, it’s one of the most personal and touching gifts that you can offer. It’s more than a gift card or a box of chocolates, it feel like being welcomed into someone’s home. (And, for the record, I will forever remember whose wife makes the most unreal, out of this world chocolate chip cookies.)
I am not gifted in the baking department. I’m a little too impatient and not nearly detail oriented enough to make it work. That saying, “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while”? That about covers it. Every so often, I get a win, but mostly I just get annoyed and disappointed.
I’ve started to see the sharing of holiday baking happening and hear it talked about more often so I suspect it may be undergoing a revival. I’m hopeful that’s the case.
I know some really talented bakers and I’m thrilled that they are committed to sharing their creations. It makes the world a better place, I’m sure of it.
Does someone share their holiday baking with you? Would you like it if they did?
