I was at Dean & Deluca in Georgetown last Sunday morning, which I posted about here. I left one detail out though. These pretty cookies I purchased. I saved them to take home, photograph and post about later. My poor fiance Brian – I buy cookies and then use them as props.Pretty things like this are almost too beautiful to eat... instead I want to shellac them and hang them from my Christmas tree. Just kidding.
The big sparkly one is a sugar cookie, the checkerboard has a delicate cocoa flavor, and the last has a key lime filling.
They've got me reminiscing about the baked goods of my childhood...like Lebkuchen (shipped from Germany) and the impeccable cookies and pastries my grandmother made (she made the same checkerboard cookies as in the photo), but most especially her German Hefezopf (Striez – a braided yeast bread). My grandmother, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, was a world-class cook, absolutely meticulous in preparation and presentation (there will most definitely be a post about Bohemian Yeast Dumplings – my all time favorite).
I'm looking forward to baking with my mom this Christmas (she's a fabulous cook – I have much to aspire to). It's been a long time since we made Bohemian Striez or Linzer Torte cookies together.
What holiday foods kindle feelings of nostalgia for your childhood? I would really love to read about them!
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My mom's family is Italian, so Italian cookies always remind me of the holidays. In DC, Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop has a good selection.
I browsed Vaccaro's menu on their website... and I really want to go there now and get this : "The Real Deal" – A slice of Cinnamon Pecan Ice Cream Pie served with Amaretto Gelato draped with hot fudge and whipped topping. Couldn't find a cookie list on the site but I'll look for those when I'm there. Thanks!
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