Comfort and Joy

from Lake Minnetonka Magazine - December 2022

Bejeweled

CAN WE AGREE that food is a jack-of-all trades, of sorts? It can be the salve the heals and comforts what ails our bodies and souls, the tie that binds and connects us through generations and the initiator of great joy among friends and family.

While many of us have our favorite dishes, is anyone else a little curious about what everyone else is serving family and guests this holiday season?

We decided to pull back the kitchen curtains to take a glimpse at what some members of our Editorial Advisory Board (and me!) are making, baking and cooking up this year. We asked for recipes that bring comfort, joy or both!

To view complete recipes, visit lakeminnetonkamag.com.

Egg Surprise “This is something we have always enjoyed as a family breakfast on holidays when I was growing up, and we still make it every Christmas. My grandma got this recipe from her neighbor 50 years ago. It is a great recipe to make ahead and heat up in the morning. I hope the readers enjoy it as much as our family does.” —Jenny Bodurka, assistant director, Minnetonka Community Education

Kiss Cookies “Growing up, Kiss Cookies were always placed on Santa’s plate in hopes that the holiday spirit and warmth of some extra kisses would win us exactly what my siblings and me had on our Christmas wish list. I don’t remember a holiday season without Kiss Cookies. My mother usually doubles or sometimes triples this recipe. It’s the perfect cookie to freeze and package them up for friends, family and neighbors as they visit. They’re everyone’s favorite!” —Brooke Beyer, director of community events and marketing, Wayzata Area Chamber

Potato, Corn and Kraut Gratin “While it’s neither fancy nor trendy, this dish is present on our Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas tables without question. This gratin is the epitome of comfort food: Creamy buttermashed potatoes, studded with sweet corn kernels and the unmistakable umami of kraut. I’ve enjoyed them all together on my plate for as long as I can remember, but it was time for an update. I grew up in a German farm family. Gathering around the table to enjoy meals together was always a priority—especially around the holidays.

“The matriarchs in my family have always been incredible cooks, who outdid themselves for the holidays. They built their traditional tables around well-loved dishes that provided the perfect foundation for our big family dinners, and I do my best to carry on that tradition.

“No matter what other mains or sides show up, three dishes are always present for our family: mashed potatoes with butter, sweet corn and sour kraut. (That’s how my family referred to it. Today, it’s more commonly known as sauerkraut.)

“I hold my grandmother’s homemade kraut responsible for shaping my palate. When she was no longer here to make it, there was a noticeable void in our dinners. When I started hosting family dinners of my own, I wanted to bring that traditional flavor back and always make sure good kraut is on the menu.” —Michele Phillips, blogger, writer and photographer

Pfeffernüsse “A very important Christmas cookie recipe to me is Pfeffernüsse. My mother would make it every year. She learned how to make them from her mother, Augusta Harjehausen, who came over from Germany when she was 15 years old. My mom remembers my grandmother dropping a couple of these little cookies into

Editorial Advisory Board members share their favorite holiday recipes.

Written by Renée Stewart-Hester Photos by Chris Emeott

her coffee at Christmastime. It has a strong anise flavor, which I love. There are a few variations of this cookie. Some call for black pepper and cardamom. This cookie will always be my favorite Christmas cookie and continues to bring fond memories of my mother and grandmother whenever I make them.” —Laura Bray, board member, Friends of the Excelsior Library

Toffee Bars “I’m sharing my mom’s Toffee Bar recipe, which she learned from my grandma and has been making since she was 11 or 12! They’re a staple on our family’s holiday cookie plate, and they’re also delicious year-round. We customize them for different celebrations using different sprinkles.” —Mary Cornelius, communications specialist, Minnetonka Schools

Editor’s Pick: Root Beer Float Cookies “I added these sweeties to my Christmas cookie lineup about 10 years ago, and they continue to be a favorite among my cookie-loving crew. While they don’t top my list—though I don’t pass them by on my oft trips around the cookie platter—I love them because my kids love them, and they evoke summertime memories for all of us. My dad, who always loved root beer, used to have a lake-night tradition with my kids at our family cabin “Up North.” After several competitive rounds of the card game Wizard, he’d fold his cards and stand up from the table. That was the signal that it was time to put down the deck, stop keeping score and take a pause for a treat—Poppa’s Root Beer Floats, made extra special with his secret ingredient—an ice cube dropped into the glass just before the vanilla ice cream scoops entered the scene. Don’t ask me why, but that icy addition makes the floats that much better. And these dense and flavor-filled cookies allow the root beer to be the King of the Deck.” —Renée Stewart-Hester, editor