Whisking up Memories: Students share memories of their favorite holiday recipes

It’s the week before winter break, and you can see it.

Students’ eyes are glazing over in the hallway and during class. Yes, they’re sleep-deprived and consumed by the ever-looming threat of finals, but they’re also thinking about crowded holiday dinners surrounded by their families.

Here are stories about four meals students enjoyed over Thanksgiving break or will be indulging in over winter break.

It’s the end of the annual Guggnemos Thanksgiving dinner, and there are leftovers on the table.

Well, with the exception of one dish: Snicker salad. 

Even sophomore Addie Guggnemos’s cousins, who are notoriously picky eaters and “refuse to eat anything,” loaded up on the salad.

The untraditional side is a sugar-filled mix of apple, whipped cream and Snickers bars, and although many of Addie’s friends haven’t heard of the dish, it’s Addie’s holiday favorite. Partly because there’s nothing “salad” about it, but also because it’s the only dish that can’t be burnt.

“It's definitely a big deal when you're the one who’s asked to help make [Snicker salad],” Addie said. “We've had some competitions, like ‘Who can make the best one?’ You wouldn't think about it, but it's one of the things that it's not Thanksgiving without.”

Addie’s tried to change the recipe before, but it’s just not the same. The original white, gooey dish is always a crowd pleaser. The whole extended Guggnemos family races to scoop it up before it’s gone. 

“There's really no one who doesn't like it,” Addie said. “[With] stuffing there’s like a 50/50, if people like it. But with Snicker salad, no matter who you really give it to, everyone will like it.”

Sophomore Anna Johnson and her family have a recipe for curing a bad day:

1 TV Show.

1 playlist.

12 spontaneous dance sessions — as a family, of course.

And, odds are, dozens of light brown, waffle patterned Belgian cookies. 

“They definitely bring us all much closer together,” Anna said. “[Making Belgian cookies] brings very happy and very warm memories.”

According to Anna, the name Johnson is synonymous with Belgian cookies.  

In fact, Belgian cookies are the first food Anna remembers eating — even one of the first memories she recalls as a newborn.

But the Johnsons don’t only make Belgian cookies to brighten their mood. They’re also a way to connect with their Belgian heritage. Anna’s grandfather immigrated to the United States from Belgium as a child and brought the recipe for Belgian cookies with him.

Four years ago, when Anna’s grandfather passed away, she and her family made the dessert to give to family members in remembrance. Now, Anna enjoys exploring her Belgian heritage through the cookies during the holidays — especially around Christmas.

“Heritage is a really important thing, at least with me, because I think it helps reflect who you are,” Johnson said. “It's comforting to know where you come from and what kind of heritage you're in. It brings families together because there's always something to talk about with [heritage].”

Each time one of her family members makes traditional black and white “swirled” German Pinwheel cookies, junior Gretchen Anast’s grandmother swears they taste different. 

Yes, they’re all chocolate and vanilla buttery swirls of dough, but there’s just something different about each batch. 

However, it doesn’t matter if Gretchen’s aunt or mother makes the Pinwheel cookies; they always sneak their way onto the holiday dinner table. 

“We know at least my great, great grandma started [making them],” Gretchen said. “It could’ve gone back farther, but we don't know that for sure.”

Gretchen learned how to make the cookies when she was 11, surrounded by her mom and grandmother — they made the process of measuring, mixing and folding look easy.

Gretchen took turns flattening out the chocolate and vanilla portions of the dough and then her mom carefully lined up the pieces and rolled them together to form the classic “swirl,” or “pinwheel,” of the cookie.

“It was kind of terrifying, honestly, because you don't want to mess it up,” Gretchen said. “But once I got the hang of it, it was really fun.”

Now, Gretchen and her family are celebrating a new tradition — making cookies in Colorado with her cousins each holiday season. In fact, she leaves on a flight for Colorado this week. 

The younger kids will make the dough, the adults will tediously roll out the dough and Gretchen will clean up. It’s how it's always been done. 

“I love being around that side of my family so much,” Gretchen said. “Mainly because they're closer to me in age, but just connecting with them and hearing about their lives when I don't see them a whole lot, it's really fun.”

As a child, now-sophomore Margot Fair would go over to her neighbor’s house every day for a tea party and to play on their DIY rope swing.

Her neighbors have always just been Dave and Donna — in fact, Margot doesn’t even know their last name.

And, right before Christmas, Margot would receive a treasured gift from Donna: Oreo balls, round sweet clumps of cream cheese and chocolate crust. 

Up until two years ago, Donna made the Oreo balls for the Fair family around Christmas time. Now, however, she’s not able to anymore due to her husband’s health.

So, Margot took it into her own hands and learned how to make the dessert. Margot walked next door to Donna and Dave’s house before Christmas for the first time two years ago and handed the tin of Oreo balls to Donna.

Since you don't make these often anymore, I have a surprise for you.

“She was like, ‘Oh, my God, it's full circle,’” Margot said. “She cried because she's been giving them to my family since I was born, and now I'm 16.”

Yes, the Oreo balls are delicious. But to Margot, they’ve been more than just a small treat around the dinner table; forming the balls helps her form community as well. Thanks to Donna’s recipe, Margot has a passion for caring for those around her.

“Everyone wants to be seen and everyone wants to be heard, but no one wants to ask for it,” Margot said. “That's why making someone's favorite treat just mentioned once is so important. The food is a good plus, but it's also just about visiting people.”