When I was a child, one of my favourite places to visit was my grandparents’ house. I was always spoiled by them and Grandma always had treats. She loved to take me shopping and there were so many fun things to do at their house, providing me with wonderful memories of our time together.
One of my favourite recollections was helping Grandma bake cookies – her famous, paper-thin oatmeal cookies that melted in your mouth. The recipe had been passed down for many generations throughout her family. I would pull up a chair and watch as she mixed the dough and then patiently rolled it out on the table. Grandma would let me help as we used a glass to cut out thin, round cookies. When there wasn’t enough dough left for another cookie, she would make me a little ball of “leftovers” to sample – my favourite part of the process!
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Grandma made these cookies almost daily, ensuring that visitors would have a fresh batch, and often I would be given a full tin to take home. When Grandma passed away, I was determined to carry on the tradition in my own family.
I don’t take the time to make these cookies as often as I should, certainly not daily as my grandmother did. Each time I stand at the counter and roll out the dough, memories of Grandma fill my thoughts, and I marvel at how much patience it requires to coax the dough into a thin sheet for cutting – she had made it look so easy! As my daughter pulls up a chair beside the counter to help, I think back to myself as a little girl watching Grandma. I set aside a little ball of dough for her to sample – and the tradition continues once again.
– Tanya Unrau writes from Boissevain, Manitoba
Editor’s note:Try out the cookie recipe for yourself. See Grandma Moir’s Oatmeal Cookies on page 41.
