There is something about baking cookies for Christmas that is mandatory for me. I can't imagine having my family show up and pulling out cookies that I bought from a bakery. Of course, my family, if given half the chance might actually prefer that option, but the choice is never given! In my mind, baking cookies for your family shows how much you love them. Crazy, huh?

As the time approaches, I get out the recipes, build a spreadsheet to ensure I have a master shopping list for all of the ingredients and then lock myself away in seclusion for the massive cookie baking. Sounds good. But then things deteriorate at a rapid pace.

This year, I pulled out the first batch of cookies and wondered why they had no resemblance to the picture in the recipe. It didn't take me long to figure out that I had forgotten to add the chocolate chip cookies. A friend called during this discovery. When I told her I was baking cookies, she told me what a great stress reliever that was. When I told her of my missing chocolate chips, she commented, "Oh, aren't they a pretty essential ingredient?" YES...and that's why I definitely don't find baking cookies relaxing!

I shook off my first disaster and moved to the next creation. In mid-mixing, I couldn't find the sweetened condensed milk. I knew absolutely that I bought it. It was on my master list. I saw it in the shopping cart. But after searching high and low, I couldn't find it. OK, great. I have the bottom part of the bar cookie baked and now I can't complete it due to the lack of one ingredient.

Admitting defeat, I folded my tent and went shopping. I am good at shopping. Later in the day, filled with renewed confidence, I returned to my baking pursuits. I baked a double batch of sweet potato zucchini bread. I finished off the recipe with the new can of sweetened condensed milk I have bought. And I went to bed feeling like I might be getting into the swing of things until I woke in the middle of the night to realize I left the nuts out of the bread!

One thing I am good at doing during the annual cookie baking disaster is burning myself on the cookie tins and the oven racks, And sure enough, I have 3 good burns to show for a bad day of baking.

I think I will poll the family on Christmas day. Maybe they will resolve me from my annual cookie baking disaster. And that would leave more time for shopping.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen