But before all that, every year at Christmas, I would get a small glimpse into what must be paradise for those who love spices. I loved (and still do) the crispy, peppery, little gingersnaps, and the pungent fruit cake laden with nuts dates and candied fruits. I could eat them both the whole holiday season long - for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But there comes the sensible question each year when it we begin to bake our Christmas cookies - how many types of cookies should we make this year? And since I don’t actually have my own army, the answer should not be in the double digits although my initial list always begins there. Then I have to whittle down the list to the must haves based on family vote and then I’m left inwardly skulking because the cookies I really want but definitely do not need get struck from the list. I don’t skulk for long because it is very difficult to skulk when your kitchen smells of butter, brown sugar and spices.
So this year I thought to myself, why not cheat? I don’t cheat very often, but sometimes you have to and so I did. I smooshed two recipes together to make a singular spicy, fruitnutty cookie that is chewy and pairs perfectly with my morning coffee and my evening tea and isn’t bad at snacktime with a glass of milk either.
