I love the holidays. There are so many layers to the traditions, rituals, and stories that evolve from the heart of winter. Each one is slightly different depending on its geographic location of origin, yet is inextricably linked to their neighboring country’s traditions with threads of similarity. As I read or hear about different holiday traditions, my brain can’t help but try to find those threads as they pertain to my own family’s holiday traditions and what I grew up with.
In particular, I’ve been fascinated with Nordic culture’s traditions of holiday baking. Baking. Lots and lots of baking! Their houses are filled with the warm scents of ginger, butter, nutmeg, yeast dough, and rich dark coffee–for weeks on end. (This sounds amazingly familiar to one of my most favorite dreams I have every now and then 
. The winters are dark there–much like Portland–where people retreat into their cozy homes, light candles, mull spiced wine on the stove, and together get into the kitchen to make traditional sweets.
Then, it hit me.
There needs to be a goddess, a saint, a fairy/elf, a knower, watcher, and helper of all things baked. And her name is Noël Bakerina. Here is her story:
Noël has never been seen, but she makes herself known by her wonderful aroma. When she’s called upon, she will help you make the most wonderful baked goods–especially in the month of December. She has been known to drop little treats off on your doorstep, complete with a story and history of the goodies at hand. She loves to do this–but in our modern day and age. she has found her treats to be rejected at times–people were skeptical and wanted to know where they came from and how many calories were in them. This does not hinder her however, and she still makes her rounds to special households around the globe in December.
I knew exactly who Noël would visit first: my four year old cousin, Gemma along with her mom, Laura and her dad, Chauncey. Noël made a traditional gingerbread cookie, which is the first of several baked goodies she will deliver this month. Each cookie was lovingly cut out, sprinkled with sugar, and baked, filling the air with her favorite warm scents, which also happens to be her personal smell. Then, borrowing one of her favorite holiday images, the Swedish horse, she made little note cards and wrote a personal note to the recipients. In it she explained the tradition of using ginger dating back two thousand years, being used to celebrate the winter solstice and how it came to be used in what we know as ginger bread today. She expressed her gratitude and happiness that this spice has not fallen out of favor with humans, as it is also one of her favorites. Then she wraps the cookies in a beautiful box, tucks the note in, and sends it off, appearing–quite magically–on the doorstep of her choice.
What will Noël Bakerina make next? Stay tuned–she has some wonderful recipes she can not wait to make!
Noël Bakerina’s Gingerbread Cookies
*These cookies have a wonderful spiceyness to them–if you like a little spice in your life, add the full amount of ginger, but if you like to keep it simple, the lesser amount is still wonderful. Depending on how thin you roll the dough, you will get a nice soft cookie with crunchy edges. Just wonderful!*
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3/4 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and clove in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
Combine sugar, butter, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, add egg, and mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until moist throughout, about 2 minutes. Turn dough onto a dry, clean surface, divide in half and form into flat disks. You can make this ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge to keep it cool while you work.
Cut dough into 3-inch round cookies and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather remaining dough into a ball and reroll with some more dough.
Bake cookies until edges are brown but centers are still soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly on the baking sheet (about 2 minutes), then remove to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cheers!
(The box Noel made for her treats to be delivered in) 
