By Sue Keels

No one who bakes – bakes alone

No one who cooks – cooks alone

Even when you are baking or cooking by yourself, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, vintage advice and precious family recipes passed from one generation to the next.

Years of love, laughter and memories every time you stir, simmer and sift!

I have such fond memories of my grandmother’s baking. As young girls my sister Karyn and I would enjoy snowy visits to New York on Christmas Day to spend time with my grandmother. The sweet smell of “scotch fudgie” cookies baking in the oven welcomed us as we arrived to celebrate this magical time of the year!

My grandmother would not only share her famous “scotch fudgie” cookies with her six grandchildren but also with friends, neighbors and many others throughout her life! So many people would take one bite of her signature cookie and immediately ask for the recipe which always seemed to put a humble smile on my grandmother’s face.

As my sister and I grew older and moved further away, New York trips to spend Christmas at Grandma’s house became more difficult due to distance however; that did not stop Grandma Rizzo from spreading “scotch fudgie” love! She would spend hours baking boxes of cookies and sending care packages to her grandchildren who lived too far to visit on Christmas Day and somehow she still found time to bake for the family members who spent Christmas day at her home.

The carefully packaged cookies arriving right before Christmas seemed to make the holidays a bit brighter knowing we would be able to savor each decadent morsel of joy! I recall grandma visiting us during the holiday season and we would always spend time baking cookies. There was something wonderfully reassuring baking together and a memory I will cherish all my life.

The scotch fudgie recipe continues to be a family favorite around the holiday season. It’s such a simplistic recipe with only five basic ingredients which is refreshing and comforting during the hustle and bustle of the season. Making this recipe offers a feeling of soothing childhood memories when life was a bit less complex and the simple pleasures of a cookie would make your day extra special!

Whether baking in the kitchen alone or with friends and family, it’s comforting to know that the spirit of the scotch fudgie lives on in many kitchens near and far. Grandma Rizzo would be proud!

Grandma’s Scotch Fudgies

Ingredients:

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

6 oz. butterscotch chips

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 can condensed milk

Directions:

Blend everything in a large bowl, pouring the condensed milk last. Use fork to mix. Bake in a 8×8 well greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, cool (not completely) and cut into small cookie squares.

Best served with a cold glass of milk!

Sue Keels is the Director of Sales at the Royal Park Hotel, a Four Diamond, Conde Nast boutique hotel. Sue enjoys captivating an audience, speaking about “catering tricks and trends” to large groups and has been quoted as a lifestyle and catering expert in many industry publications including BizBash, the Knot and Brides to Be. Sue enjoys baking, cooking and creating. She also is co-owner of a national entertaining blog called EventTrender and loves sharing her ideas.

Tags: Christmas, Cookies, desserts, grandmother, holidays, scotch fudgies