Tuesday 16 December 2008

A Tuesdays With Dorie Christmas Tale . . .



All was quiet in Oak Cottage. It was a cold winter's day, and Jess was snoozing by the fire. Todd and Marie lay back, snoozing in their chairs, after having had a very hard week, their breath slipping in and out of their open mouths in soft snores.



"Do you know what day it is today?" whispered the Gingerbread Fairy from the top of the Christmas tree to the other decorations in the room. "It's Tuesday's With Dorie day, you know, that one day of the week that Marie usually is baking up a frenzy from that lovely fat cookbook over there in the corner, Baking, from my home to yours, by that maven of kitchen magic, the lovely Dorie Greenspan! "



"There's no baking going on right now," grumbled the gingerbread bakers from their perch on the winding staircase over in the corner. "They're fast asleep and snoring away for England! If Marie doesn't wake up soon, she completely miss this week!"

"Not to worry," the Gingerbread fairy whispered, "We'll just have to invoke the magic rule of Christmas and help her out a bit. I hate to wake her up, she's so tired, she's worked so hard, and she's sleeping so soundly." With that she waved her magic cinnamon stick and the air filled with the tinkling sound of little bells and all the ornaments on the tree began to wiggle their arms about. Over to the kitchen counter they marched, whilst the big kitchen bowl danced across the counter and the egg beaters whirred through the air to meet it. Butter and eggs flew out of the fridge and the flour canister bounced across the floor!



"We're cooking!" the kitchen fairy announced from her bowlie full of cherries on the windowsill, the flour on the end of her noise a dead giveaway.

"Keep it down!" hissed the Kitchen witch from her broom as she slowly rocked back and forth from her perch at the top of the kitchen window. "If you make too much noise you'll wake them up!"

Quietly and silently they went about their work. Batter was stirred and whipped.



"I think this is a bit too bland." announced Santa , cookie dough stuck to his lips. "It needs something else."


"You shouldn't be eating raw cookie dough!" admonished the gingerbread fairy, "But I'm awfully glad you did." Away went the magic cinnamon stick again, and little bits of candied ginger fell into the dough, lickety split. "That should do the trick!" She announced with the surety of a fairy that knows what she's baking.



Into the oven they went and before too long, lovely smells were wafting through the air. The cookie sheets magically whisked in and out of the oven as the cookie lifter scooped finished cookies off of them and onto the cooling racks. Fairy wings whirred as they drifted a soft white scattering of magic icing sugar across the tops of the finished cookies.




"Just perfect." declared the Gingerbread Chef as she peered down on them. "These will do just fine!"



"But we need to have a bit of a taste." the snowman over in the corner hummed and hawed and clutched at a round soft and craggy cookie, the smell of which was causing him to drool and melt . . . just a tiny bit . . .



"Oh ho ho, yesss!" Santa exclaimed over his jiggling belly, "Just one, so that we know they are perfect for Marie!" His trembling lips wiggled and shook like a bowl full of jelly as he peered over his glasses at the lovely delights laying on the tray.

"Okay," whispered the Gingerbread Fairy . . . "But just one a piece mind you!" The words were dast out of her mouth when they began to tuck in.



"Ho Ho how wonderful these are!" Santa shouted from atop the stove! "These are as fine a cookie as I have ever encountered on a snowy Christmas Eve!

If there was anyone ever who knew the qualities, both good and bad, of Christmas Eve cookies, Santa did. He'd tried a great many in his lifetime, as the roundness of his belly could attest!



Todd mumbled a little in his sleep as his lips moved in a pantomime of a secret conversation and Jess began to silently wiggle her paws in a secret dance across the orchard meadows of her dream.

"Quick, quick!" The Gingerbread Fairy whispered. "Into the boxes you go cookies and ornaments, back into your places!! They'll be awake soon!" Her cinnamon stick waved again and cookies danced like magic into little cardboard boxes, each one lined up across the counter. All the ornaments sleepily danced back to their places on the tree. Before you knew it, all was back as it had been from the beginning.


Hmmmm . . . . Marie stretched in her chair and yawned. I must have fallen asleep, she thought to herself. " I must get up and get baking. It's Tuesdays with Dorie day and I have cookies to bake. I believe this week's recipe is Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80, as chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. " She sauntered over to the counter to get out her book and what to her wondering eyes should appear, but boxes of freshly baked Buttery Jam Cookies, all lined up in a row!



"It's a miracle," she whispered to herself as she looked down on them. Somewhere in the room a bell tinkled and the smell of cinnamon wafted through the air . . . Christmas Magic and miracles are the best kind of all . . .
~*The End*~

If you would like to try out this week's recipe please check out Heather's Page, and be sure to check out all the other lovely versions of this week's recipe on the Dorie Blog Roll! Next week's recipe will be Real Butterscotch Pudding on page 386 as chosen by Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases .

36 comments:

  1. I LOVE your story! It gave me goosebumps! And your cottage looks cozy dressed in snow!

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  2. Oh Marie what a lovely story ,could I borrow your little helpers? a couple of days should do it, and I promise to send them back to you, safe and sound ..love Jan xx

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  3. Your story SO made me Smile!!! Great post!

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  4. I loved your story Marie. I could have done with your 'little dream helpers' when I was making my Christmas cake on Sunday. (I'm late this year). I began with grand ideas of what I was going to do, viennese whirls being one of them, and the day panned out with taking phone calls and other things to distract me from my quest.
    You are so very clever my fiend.
    I was enthralled by your story and photos too.
    Love
    Jeanie xxxx

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  5. Hahahahaha! I just re-read my reply...and spotted 'fiend' instead of friend...forgive this sensitive laptop keyboard and 'silly old sausage' writer.
    Hugs
    Jeanie xxx

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  6. what a delightful entry!1 love that fairy in the bowl of cherries..how cute she is!
    ever think of doing fairy cards??

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  7. We have our own special house elves (tomte) at this time of the year, though I've yet to experience them in such a magical way. What a charming story.

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  8. What a lovely story Marie, really enjoyed reading it. I am going to be baking with my 7 year old grand daughter tomorrow wish me luck. Lov Joan

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  9. That's a big bite for one small Santa! me thinks someone awoke from their nap to give a little taste tests ;)

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  10. I am so happy to have found your delightful corner of the internet! This was a charming wee story:) Cheers from Nova Scotia,
    Shelagh

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  11. Love that dolls and bears Xmas story, Marie!
    Too sweet... just as your cookies!

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  12. What a great story! :) IT made me smile this morning AND gave me a craving for those cookies! :)

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  13. How cute.

    I need the kitchen fairy's to come and visit me.

    Only they can do the dishes.

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  14. what a great story!!! I think that some of your helpers are related to some of mine! Hope you are feeling better today! Much love, Raquel XO

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  15. Hi Marie, I have only a minute before I leave for my walk. I will send you the link to add snow to your blog when I return (I have to look it up and it will take me a few minutes). I enjoyed your cute post today. I am going to a cookie exchange on Thursday, I had planned to make banana cookies but I'm going to try your jam cookies tomorrow (Wednesday) and if they turn out good I may change and make them instead for Thursday. Your recipes always look so lucious! Have a happy day.

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  16. What a cute little story! I wish I had helpers in the kitchen as nice as yours :)

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  17. that was such a magical story you wrote. i loved it! and i love the gingerbread doll that lura sent you-ADORABLE!!!! how sweet that she embroidered your name on it. she is so darn thoughtful.

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  18. You are so clever, Marie! I loved your story!

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  19. A very cute "fairy tale!" The dough did need a little kick - candied ginger is a great idea.

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  20. Very cute story! :) Love the pictures!

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  21. Great fun! All that work for the pictures too! Thanks for the entertainment!

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  22. You brought a big smile to my face today dear Marie! I loved your pictures with Santa and your decorations. So cute and sweet! I hope you have a wonderful week this week!

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  23. What a truly delightful blog Marie! You are so inspirational! I will return again for some magical stories and musings - what a treat!
    Kind regards
    Molly

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  24. I love your story! It is so amazingly Christmassyy ( I say that about most things recently, but that story just enevlops you in a cosy happy warmth!) What fantastic loooking cookies you got in the end too :)

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  25. I think this is my favorite post of yours. I love Santa with the half-eaten cookie! I'm grinning ear to ear! How lovely and cute!

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  26. Marie I love your stories! It really was a great Christmas tale. Hope you are enjoying the season. The cookies were great.

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  27. ah tuesday, the most magical day of the week! lovely cookies, dusted with snow!

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  28. Great story. The fairy in the cherries is so darn cute. I need helpers in my kitchen.

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  29. What a lovely story to read especially after dinner! Loved it! I believe you should try penning children's stories too! You could illustrate them as well! What a multi-faceted gal you are! I'm baking cookies tonight that have been chilled a couple of days. Into the freezer will go most of them! Where, oh where are my fairies? Lurking outside,maybe....

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  30. What an adorable post, I loved reading it! Your cookies look good too :)

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  31. I love how they all sampled the cookies!!

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  32. What a magical, wonderful story. I am so glad that the gingerbread fairy let such wonderful Christmas magic to take place in your kitchen this morning.

    It looks like gingerbread Chef Marie feels right at home with her new gingerbread friends and is putting her cooking skills to good use. It does my heart good to see how happy and well she fits into your Oak Cottage.

    Can you still smell my perfume that she put on before she crossed the pond to your home? Loni has me put it on all of the doll clothes I make for her. Loni told Lynell that whenever she smells them it reminds her of "Grammy's world". I hope that Chef Marie will always remind you of me and the love I have for you.

    Please ask your gingerbread fairy if she could send a little magic my way. I could use a little help getting ready for all of the company that will be coming.

    You will be up soon. Have a good day. Love, Lura

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  33. OMG that is the cutest story I've read in a while, and all your pictures! Love it! I didn't do the TWD recipe this week, too much work to do :-P Love the picture of your cottage!!

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  34. Wonderful story. Love the cute pictures too.

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  35. Wow! What a great story. Hope you have a lovely Happy Christmas.

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