Cookie Queens

She went to the window. A fine sheen of sugary frost covered everything in sight, and white smoke rose from chimneys in the valley below the resort town. The window opened to a rush of sharp early November air that would have the town in a flurry of activity, anticipating the tourists the colder weather always brought to the high mountains of North Carolina.

She stuck her head out and took a deep breath. If she could eat the cold air, she would. She thought cold snaps were like cookies, like gingersnaps. In her mind they were made with white chocolate chunks and had a cool, brittle vanilla frosting. They melted like snow in her mouth, turning creamy and warm.

Sarah Addison Allen, American author in The Sugar Queen (2008)

Sugary frost coated Mom's car this morning as we set out just after 8 A.M. for the church. A splendid array of cookies of every flavour, shape and size was lined up ready for shoppers when the doors opened at 9:30 and very few were left when they closed five hours later.

Spicy gingersnaps, velvety shortbread, nutty brittle and oh so much chocolate laden the tables. There was lots of fun, and a few (broken) samples, to be had. And once again the church coffers are rolling in dough. (I had to say that.)