The holidays evoke many different emotions for different people. I can understand why as I go through different feelings about different memories I have had over the years. I will always remember coming home from Shule and going to my Gramma’s apartment for our holiday meal. We always had a large lunch meal. It just seemed to make sense since we were all there together after services.

It never disappointed. I don’t know how she did it in her small little apartment kitchen, but she did. She always made my favourite pineapple chicken, and this amazing carrot tsimis with yummy potato dumplings. Some things we never got ‘quite right’. I do remember being at my mother’s house once and my Gramma was showing us how to use the pressure cooker. The three of us were standing at the stove. It was almost an out of body experience three generations learning how to continue tradition.

One tradition that was special WAY before my grandparents moved to Toronto was her moon cookies (poppy seed). They were always in a special glass canister and you were only given them sparingly. Sounds funny now, but they really are a treat. They aren’t “just a cookie”, they are a process, and once they are completed, you realize why she cherished them as much as we did.

She didn’t give them out as gifts either. I once caught my aunt at a family party filling a styrofoam cup up and putting it her purse. I don’t think I will ever forget that image.

My cousin commented on my post on FB last night that she remembered being at my Gramma’s apartment in Montreal and pressing the cookies down with the glass. She actually had a special glass. I think it is still at my parent’s house. I will have to look for it when I am there next.

Many requested the recipe so I will share it with you.

Gramma Milli’s Moon Cookies
Ingredients:
2 eggs
¼ cup Crisco
¼ cup Oil
½ cup Sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Juice from a large orange
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Method:
Mix all ingredients together to make a sticky dough
Refridgerate for several hours (or overnight)
Grease cookie sheets
Make very small balls with the dough (leave enough room to press down, but the cookies do not really spread while baking)
In two bowls place oil and sugar – you will need a small glass to dip and press
Dip in oil, then in sugar and press dough ball down. Repeat with each cookie
Bake at 350 until golden brown (the recipe says 15 minutes but that is too long, the cookies are very thing and brown easily)

Cool and enjoy!

Please feel free to share this with your friends and family, and post photos on social media if you make them!

Lisa