Is there anything better than a home baked cookie? Well, maybe a home baked Christmas cookie would top it. Nothing says the holiday is here like baking them and sharing them with others for me.
Home and holidays just aren't the same without family though and nothing has been the same since Jack's father left to go find work and now Christmas just won't be the same either since he can't come home for the holidays. Every penny has been watched since his father left so, when Jack comes home to the smell of freshly baked cookies, he is certain his nose must be fooling him. He soon finds out that the cookies aren't meant for him but instead for the needy at church. Disappointment filled Jack but he helps his mother with the baking while she shares with him the origin of the Christmas cookie. One special cookie is saved for Jack for Christmas morning and then Jack learns the true meaning of Christmas when a stranger appears at their door.
I think this review is going to be a bit partial. All my life, my grandmother, aunt, and mother have made a beautiful (but not so great tasting to me since I don't have an appreciation for anise) Christmas cookie called a springerle, having a German descent. This story revolves around these imprinted cookies so I loved it. I also loved the story of the German family who started the tradition in this book. Not only did they meet the physical needs of their neighbors, but met the spiritual needs as well, all through some Christmas cookies.
The illustrations are bright and colorful to attract children and at the end there are two Christmas cookie recipes to try with your children, one of them being for springerles. The springerles will definitely be prettier and work out better if you can find a mold so check your local antique store to see what shows up. Don't hold your breath for a nativity as is featured in the book though because most molds are pretty generic with leaves, fruits, birds and such on them.
I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to write a positive one. Two tumbs up for Dandi Daley Mackall's, The Legend of the Christmas Cookie: Sharing the True Meaning of Christmas.
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