Christmas time brings many different memories for people – some good and some bad. Personally, I like to focus on the good memories: Going to midnight Mass and walking home at 1:30 in the morning. remembering the excitement of my children on Christmas morning when they were young, being together with family, and Christmas cookies.

Our family had certain cookies that were required every year: Mom’s crescent cookies and cream cheese wreaths were always staples. We’d throw in some different ones every year but there was one tradition that remained over the years. A few days before Christmas, Mom and Dad would make struffoli together. Mom would mix the dough. Then the two of them would roll the dough out into long strips, cutting them into little pieces. Next, the little pieces of dough would be fried, then covered with honey and sprinkles.

They were always piled high into a triangle shape, I think to maybe look like a Christmas tree. It was the only time they made something together. The rest of the cookies were usually done by my mom with my sister and I helping.

I think the year was 2001 when we had Christmas right after my mother was released from the hospital after a four month grueling stay where we weren’t sure we would have another Christmas with her. She was gaining her strength back but wasn’t up to making struffoli with Dad so he decided to make them himself.

That Christmas we all gathered in their home: myself and my family, my three siblings and their families with all the grandchildren. After dinner, Dad proudly brings in his struffoli. Someone (Let’s say it was my brother) takes a bite, examines the struffoli and says, “What are these little black specks?”

There was speculation that maybe Dad accidently added pepper to the dough when someone realized what they were, confirmed by checking the bag of flour. “Uh, those are bugs.”

Most of us were grossed out but a few family members, my husband being one of them, made some comment like, “Oh, great! Protein!” and proceeded to eat them. For more reasons that one, it was a Christmas that none of us will ever forget.