This past week, I began my yearly holiday baking and it really got me thinking about the nostalgia that comes with baking. There is truly something magically about the passing down of recipes from generation to generation and baking heritage recipes for the holidays. These foods become a part of our traditions and bring back the memories of years gone by. This past year, I found a 1985 cookbook from my mom’s hometown featuring recipes from community members. As I was flipping through the cookbook, I ran across a recipe that was submitted by my great grandmother and I just knew that I had to make the cookies this year for Christmas.

Minot is lucky enough to have a store located right in our downtown core that sells kitchen wares and food items that can help any cook or baker, whether just starting out or an advanced maker. Located at 122 Main St S, Gourmet Chef is your go to place for all things food related. Open since 1993, Gourmet Chef has been providing cookware, cutlery, and kitchen tools for over 30 years, but they really offer so much more. They offer a community and a place to go for great customer service, a friendly staff, and advice to help customers make exactly the recipe they would like to tackle.

One of the people you will likely meet at Gourmet Chef is Olivia, the store manager. She is a wealth of knowledge and can help you find just what you need for your baking or cooking needs. She mentioned that people shopping for holiday gifts can find many North Dakota items like juneberry and chokecherry jellies, pepper jellies to use with cream cheese, and cheese ball mixes. These make great stocking stuffers and gifts for people who want a touch of North Dakota.

If you are looking to bake some heritage family recipes this year, Gourmet Chef has lefse starter kits, spritz cookie presses, pizzelle makers, krumkake irons, and more to get you started with a new tradition or carry on a long time family classic. Olivia shared with me a family recipe that her dad, Dan, has been making for decades. She even remembers her dad making these cookies for cookie decorating at her preschool. These soft sugar are easy to roll and hold up nicely during the baking and decorating process. 

Dan’s Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

2 cups white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Beat sugar, softened butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least an hour (or overnight). 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out dough to ¼ to ½ inch thickness. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake in a preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating. 

Stop into Gourmet Chef this holiday season. You will find a friendly environment, knowledgeable staff, and every single kitchen gadget you could possibly ever need. Don’t forget to check out their food and oils section where you can get a variety of gourmet foods to serve for Christmas or even New Years.

Nostalgia baking during the holidays truly brings back memories of days gone by and makes you feel a connection to family, who may be spread far and wide. It may even make you feel like someone you are missing during the holidays is right there with you while you celebrate the season. The sharing of food is truly an act of love that can be passed on from generation to generation.