Cucidati

A Sicilian tradition lives on.

Was able to join my mother and cousins for an annual Christmas favorite;

baking Cucidati.

We're not the only family who embarks on this labor intensive project.

Through the teleportation of instagram

I've witnessed the gathering of many who honor this custom.

Most fascinating, no two recipes are alike.

Passed from generation to generation, interpretations have occurred. 

In fact, I have not found anyone whose cookies look like ours.

Many roll the dough into logs and slice before baking.

Others make deep cuts into the dough, and fan the rings to create a bracelet 

which just happens to be what the word means.

And yet a sprinkling of multii color nonpareils have remained intact.

We adhere the sprinkles with egg wash, 

others sacrilegiously glaze with royal icing.

Unskilled, Sarah and I rolled some lame looking crescents.

My mother had an Italian word for them

which I don't think is fit for print.