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First Snow Cookies...A Tradition I Share with Cameron While raising my son as a single parent & looking for new & fresh things to do, I came up with a brand new tradition for us. I think it began when Cam was about ten years old. We called the tradition “First Snow Cookie Day.” On the first snowfall of each year, we baked homemade, warm cookies together & we called them “First Snow Cookies.” Each year I’d make conversation in the car or anywhere, “So what should we make for ‘First Snow Cookies’ this year?” We’d decide in advance what flavor cookie we wanted to make so the ingredients could be on hand for the “first snow.” Doesn’t that sound peaceful & organized? Did it always work like that? No, I shopped for the ingredients that hectic day sometimes, lol. I’ll confess, a few years I was disappointed he wanted a different flavor than I had in mind 😉. Somewhere I started a list of what cookie we made each year, (Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles) but I don’t know where that is--probably on an old disk drive. We’ve sweet memories right in our hearts though. We also had to establish what qualified as a “First Snow Day.” Did a “First Snow Day” have to have at least 4” of snow? Did it need to be good packing snow we could make a snowball out of? Was it grounds for “First Snow cookies” if it snowed but melted right away? Just what constituted a legitimate “First Snow Day” & fresh baked cookies we made together? We flexed on that some years according to how we could make it work with our schedules. The tradition changed too when he went off to college & upon graduation when God blessed him with his first corporate job one week later! I made the cookies on the “first snow” (or there abouts) & brought them to him & we enjoyed them together. It can be important to be flexible with traditions. It’s not worth the stress or agitation personally or in the relationship to have anxiety that it has to happen one way & only one way every year. Just a few years back, Cameron was decorating Italian ricotta cookies with me on Christmas Eve. He was so detailed! I have those photos 😊. You know I treasure those!  What about “Fifth Snow Cookies” if you haven’t been able to do First, Second or even “Third Snow Cookies?” Keep a “First Snow Cookies” journal to track how your tradition –and the fun—evolves each year! How would you feel reading this in a few years: “November 20th, 2024 Mom’s house Fifth Annual, Third Snow Cookies (Sugar cookies with sprinkles) Cam won the coolest cookie contest! Mom slipped green sprinkles into Cam’s milk. The dog stole a cookie off the cooling rack! Take some pics, print em’ & pop them into the pages. Place some of the written recipes in between the pages! You’ll get more than your baking’s worth! One cookie bite a day or two later will bring back the pure delight of your kitchen adventures. If you’re dieting, maybe you could pick some people to bring free cookies to! Pick back up on a tradition at any time. Restart, refine, restore, remember…reconnect. What are some new traditions you can begin by yourself or with others? Both can bring fulfillment. This tradition brought us fresh-baked joy. First Snow Cookies…when memories are baked. Peace & joy.
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What do you think of when you hear the word cinnamon? Essential oil? Cinnamon pinecones for the fall & winter coziness? Cinnamon rolls? Snickerdoodle cookies? There are 3 kinds of cinnamon: Cassia, Saigon & Ceylon.
* Sometimes labeled Chinese cassia * Dark reddish-brown with a thick, hard bark (single curled layer) * Stronger & spicier than Ceylon * Higher in coumarin. (We’ll cover that in the next paragraph.) * Used in Classic American baking or anywhere cinnamon needs to stand out. Cassia is mentioned in the Bible: Exodus 30:22-25 KJV as one of 3 ingredients of a holy anointing oil, Psalm 45:8 KJV as fragrance & royalty & in Ezekiel 27:19 KJV in trade & commerce. 2. Saigon Cinnamon is a stronger type of Cassia & is stronger & more concentrated & is very high & the hightest of the 3 cinnamons containing coumarin. Therefore it raises coumarin exposure faster in the body than the 3rd type well talk about.
3. Ceylon cinnamon is often described as “more health-beneficial” than Saigon mainly because of safety & composition. The Biggest reason is: Ceylon cinnamon is much lower in coumarin. Therefore, it’s safer for daily or frequent consumption like in daily smoothies, coffee, oatmeal, supplements & baking). It’s safer for long-term usage. It’s often called: “True cinnamon” which can also be found in some grocery stores.
This is the Ceylon Cinnamon I use for my daily use. Shop Amazon Here! This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Saigon & Ceylon cinnamons both contain antioxidants. Flavor breakdown:
 Remember the two primary cinnamons this way: Saigon = for occasional baking or bold flavor. We do use this because it is more cost effective for baking & it is low on the ingredient list as opposed to flour, sugar, eggs & dairy. Ceylon = for Daily or medicinal use     Not many are talking about the plenty of cookie scoop sizes.
There are a PLENTY of them! And some have zero indications of what size they are on their product, so you'll know or can easily recall their size in the midst of your scooping & baking. Some manufacturers promote theirs by the scoop's diameter, and some don't. You may have several scoops from different manufacturers and different sizes. Here's your info to understanding which to use/buy or how to explain your recipe requirements to someone. Cookie scoop sizes do follow a standard, but it’s not based on inches… it’s based on the number stamped on the scoop, which refers to how many scoops fit into one quart of liquid. How Cookie Scoop Numbers Work
Common Cookie Scoop Sizes (Standard Across Baking Brands) #20 3 Tbsp ~1.5 oz Large bakery cookies #24 2.66 Tbsp ~1.33 oz Standard large cookies #30 2 Tbsp ~1 oz Classic homemade cookies #40 1.5 Tbsp ~0.8 oz Small/medium cookies #50 1.25 Tbsp ~0.5–0.6 oz Small cookies #60 1 Tbsp ~0.5 oz Mini cookies Most Used for Cookies
Tip: If you weigh your dough:
Now that you've got the scoop, Go bake someone a blessing! :) |
AuthorI love the Lord, people & I love to cook & bake! ...and the beach! ArchivesCategories |
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