By Ella Colarossi
There’s no better scent during the holiday season than the smell of fresh-baked cookies wafting
through the air when you come home. My family takes it a step further, baking enough cookies
to feed a small army. My name is Ella Colarossi, and one of my favorite holiday traditions is our
family’s cookie-baking marathon. Each year, we make over 15 different types of cookies, from
cherished family recipes to new finds that quickly become traditions of their own. This isn’t just a
baking session—it’s a full family affair that has been a part of my life for as long as I can
remember.
The main bakers are my mom, grandma, two sisters, and me. My dad and brother are the
official taste testers, though we don’t trust them with the baking (they’d probably burn the
cookies if we let them try!). We crank up the Christmas carols and bake all day long. But cookie
baking isn’t just a one-day event for us—it’s a season-long tradition that begins in
mid-November and stretches all the way through to Christmas Eve. We even have a second
freezer dedicated solely to cookie storage.
This tradition was started by my dad’s mother, my Nana. She was the best baker I knew, always
with an endless supply of cookies when we visited her. Though she has passed, her
cookie-baking legacy lives on. We use her recipes every year. We give cookies as gifts, creating
homemade plates for friends and family. While everyone has their favorites, the most requested
are our molasses cookies, ooey gooey cookies, and lemon cookies. Some of these recipes are
family secrets, passed down through generations, while others have been collected over the
years from various sources. But no matter where they come from, they’ve all become an integral
part of our family tradition.
“Lemony Slice-and-Bakes”
Makes: About 50 Cookies
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. finely grates lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
Icing:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
sanding sugar
Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. On medium-high speed, beat butter, sugar,
lemon zest, and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 3 mins). Add egg yolks; beat just to blend.
Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and beat, just to blend. Divide dough in half; roll each
half into a 10″ – long log about 1 3/4″ in diameter. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 1
hour. Keep Chilled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each log into 1/4″ thick rounds and bake
on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm and golden brown around edges,
about 16-18 mins. Let cool for one minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Drizzle with icing and dust with sanding sugar.
“Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cookies”
Makes: 2 Dozen
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 egg90op[=[-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese
and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the
chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an
ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and
“gooey.” Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
“Mammy’s Molasses Tung Cookies”
Makes: 5-6 Dozen
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1⁄2 cup mild baking molasses
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
4 tsp. baking soda 5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream sugar with butter and Crisco. Add eggs and molasses. Mix
dry ingredients together and add gradually to the creamed mixture. Make finger like rolls and roll
in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets.