My birthday is November 2, so while I was always slightly peeved that I couldn’t have the Hawaiian-themed summer birthday parties like my sister, I did love having Halloween-themed birthday parties. My mom made these cookies every Halloween, and they eventually came to be known as “my cookies,” because I loved them so much and I associated Halloween with my birthday. Actually, that first photo is entitled “Alicia birthday treat.” When I went off to college, mom would send them to me, and here in New York, the tradition continues. (It’s a spritz sandwich cookie, with chocolate icing in between and a green icing stem). For many of the early years, my mom experienced some difficulty with the spritz-making gadget, but I was sworn to secrecy as to what she said/did when experiencing such frustration. hehe. My dad, the icing expert and cake-decorator of the household, always put the green stems on top, and thus, I referred to them as “the teamwork cookies” in later years. (Although, to be fair, my dad is the dish-doer in the house…so he was always part of the “cookie team” by way of clean-up).

I received my treats two days ago, and reluctantly offered them to my boyfriend, because as he noticed, the note from my parents was addressed to the both of us. (Mom!!!!!) Luckily, he understands my love for them and keeps his distance. Well, that, and of course there are already homemade cookies in the house, courtesy of me!

Not much has changed, fortunately. Little Alicia, now a slightly taller Alicia, sits at the kitchen table, gleaming with happiness at the sight of “my cookies.”