baking up sweet memories

WD Beauty Director April Franzino grew up baking batches of cookies to gift with her family at Christmastime. Now she and her sister continue the tradition, honoring those who came before them and passing it on to the younger generation.

- Becca Miller

A few weeks before Christmas each year, April and her younger sister, Gina, bust out the butter and flour, don their Santa hats, turn on some classic tunes (Bing Crosby is a must!), and spend an entire day baking.

From the moment they could walk, April and Gina were whipping up cookies with their mom, Debbie, and their grandmother Nancy, who passed down decades-old family recipes as a part of the treasured tradition. "This is the fifth generation of cookie baking in our family, and it's really special to us," says April.

The sisters took over hosting the baking bonanza in their 20s, and each year they make six to eight types of cookies that they gift to family and friends. Three of April's favorites: colorful peppermint candy cane cookies, decadent chocolate crinkles, and buttery pecan crescents. "The classics are passed down for a reason, because they are the best of the best," she says.

April's nieces, Marcella and Rayna, help now too, mixing up dough and adding decorations, sometimes sneaking a few sprinkles to snack on. Someday it will be their turn to take over and spend the day baking these cherished recipes-a taste of nostalgia for the most wonderful time of the year.

Chocolate Crinkles

ACTIVE 20 MIN. TOTAL 35 MIN. PLUS CHILLING, FREEZING, AND COOLING MAKES 12 TO 2 DOZEN