My mother has been making guanties for as long as she can remember. It all started with her grandmother who brought the perfected recipe from Italy when immigrating. From her grandmother it passed to her mother who passed it down to her. It wasn’t long before I was eating the best cookies ever made, the Italian guanties.

On a Sunday every December my mom’s side of the family comes together to make these precious cookies. When I was a kid, I would watch my uncles, and now my cousins, attempt to stir the dough. It wasn’t until I was eight that I understood the struggle and had enough strength to stir the dough around once. Made up of a carton of eggs, lots of flour and a few other ingredients, the guanties are nearly impossible to stir. After letting the dough sit for “as long as it takes to drink a cup of black coffee”, the formation process begins. First you roll the dough until it's thin. Next, it is cut into square-like shapes with three slits each. You then pick it up and braid it. Now the guanties move on to frying- a laborious task my uncle took over from my grandfather. Each guantie is thrown into a boiling pot and then a basket where cinnamon and sugar get sprinkled on it. Once cooled, the guantie is complete and I begin sneaking as many into my mouth as I can. With the combination of diligence and love, guantie making is my favorite family tradition. Everyone should make the time for traditions as there is nothing more valuable than time spent with those you love.

– NL

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more