In my family, Italian almond wedding cookies, though they are supposed to be used for weddings, are also used for holidays. They are one of the most popular treats my family makes, especially during the holidays.

The cookies are round, powdered balls that crumble before the warm inside turns into a cake-like texture, making your taste buds smile. The crunch of almond is inviting, the way chocolate chips go perfectly with cookies. They smell like a bakery, and can remind anyone of the perfection that comes from making a homemade treat. When you hear someone bite into this dessert, your mouth can’t help but water, wanting nothing more than to take a whole batch with a glass of milk and down them within thirty seconds.

The cookies always somehow managed to remind me of culture. I felt like I was in Italy itself, and I was cooking all these fancy recipes with my relatives. They would speak Italian to me and I would actually understand them. I would wear an apron that was covered with flour, and I felt at home.

Italian culture has always been a huge part of me. I always wanted to go to Italy, and I love the language, as well as all the different recipes and customs. One of my favorites happen to by these cookies. They make me welcome even my least favorite holidays. It feels nice to have such a large family that takes the time to cook so many different foods, and in such large quantities. And one thing in my family is true: there are no such thing as secrets, unless it’s a family recipe.

This family recipe came from my Aunt Reneé, who is my mother’s older sister. She had gotten the recipe from my great grandmother, Mimí. She was my grandfather’s mother. Every holiday, she makes them, along with other recipes for the family, such as Cannoli’s, and her famous sugar crepes. Other people in my family also make multiple different recipes that have been passed down between relatives. Italian almond cookies are a popular favorite.

Each time my family prepares them, it feels like I’m already in Italy.

by MADISON HUCKABAY