The quintessential midwest Christmas cookie, by Mrs. Ehrler.

There are always more than enough cookies to go around at Christmas and this has always been facilitated by Grandma and Mrs. Ehrler's cookie swapping. Grandma cooks dozens upon dozens and Mrs. Ehrler outdoes her multiple times over. We reap the spoils. I taste everything that went into making it, mostly the shortening, and it goes against all the sensibilities and discriminating palate I've developed, when I can't help but eat through boxes of these.

I am amazed at this cookie when I look at it. The simplicity of it, the shape - a ringing bell - of it, the complete coating of sprinkles. In a market where the gourmet cupcakes and artisinal confections dominate the sweet consumables chatter, a cookie sending direct a message as this is remarkable and beautiful. There's no accompanying story to cite the inspiration for it. There is no list of exotic ingredients that serves as both brag book and allergen notification. It's a Christmas cookie, and you know it just to see it. It brings everything back down to Earth.