A Christmas Recipe

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Egg
• Brown Sugar
• Golden Syrup
• Ground Ginger
• Mixed Spice
• Icing Sugar
• Christmas Cheer
• New Beginnings

Method

1. Wash the year's wounds from your hair, put on a red and green sweater and preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Take a deep breath and lightly grease baking tray.
3. Dissect the year's downfalls, beating the butter and sugar in a bowl until the frustration has begun to evaporate.
4. Add the golden syrup, egg yolk and a sprinkling of good times, beat until combined.
5. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice, and reckless hope.
6. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead until your heart has softened again, gentleness returning to your fingertips.
7. Cover with glad-wrap and place in the fridge for thirty minutes, taking the time to forgive yourself for each and every day the sky darkened.
8. Beat egg white until it begins to look like fairy-floss clouds. Like floating. Like flying.
9. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until your old confidence returns, shedding this year's insecurities like a stifling scarf.
10. Cover with glad-wrap and place in the fridge, alongside the past eleven months - now expired, and next year's resolutions.
11. Roll out the dough until it is a map of mountains and dreams.
12. Use a cookie cutter to form stars and stockings and smiles.
13. Place on tray to create a jigsaw of joy.
14. Bake in oven for six hundred heartbeats or until you have stitched your injuries closed.
15. Allow cookies to cool, allow yourself time to breathe.
16. Use icing to decorate gingerbread with messages of healing.
17. Repeat until Christmas morning. Repeat until happiness comes easily to you again.
18. Carry this soft contentment into the new year.