Most years, or at least those when I’m well and very lucky, I attempt to create a new-ish Christmas cookie. For years, my modus operandi was to bake all–or nearly all–our family favorites but to try something different, too. Maybe from a magazine or a new book or even the newspaper, though these days that might only mean the New York Times. Eventually, I began creating my own new cookies. Sometimes they’re innovative; other times I just manage a tweak on a standard like shortbread or Mexican Wedding Cookies. I’m equally proud of both styles. Really, it’s not easy to come up with a cookie totally unlike anything anyone’s baked before but it’s an interesting conundrum. Nothing new under the sun and all that. For the last couple of months, maybe less, I’ve had two cookies in mind. The one you’re reading about is a cookie I’m a bit proud of, a PEANUT BUTTER GINGER COOKIE. This small sweet has been in the works for a while now, but given I’ve had the flu, I hadn’t gotten the recipe written or tested. Until now, that is. The other is one I’ll ponder in my heart, like Mary, perhaps until next year. You’ll just have to wait.
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