The secret to the perfect shortbread cookie can be summed up in one word: butter.
'Tis the season for Christmas baking and shortbreads are the number one traditional treat.
The melt-in-your-mouth cookies also happen to be the top seller at Holly's Sweets and Eats on Commerce Park Drive.
Co-owner Lori McClelland says shortbreads are important to her because it's her mom's recipe and mom bakes them right there in Holly's kitchen.
"Mom makes them and wraps them up pretty," said McClelland, gesturing to a festive package containing two monster sized cookies.
Bakers can be secretive but McClelland says there's no mystery to making the perfect shortbread.
"It's just real butter," explains McClelland. "It's not a whipped shortbread it's just a plain old traditional shortbread. You throw everything in the bowl you turn the mixer on and you take it out."
But the key lies in the cooking.
"They're very delicate. Baking them is a little tricky," McClelland. "If the oven's too hot you'll ruin them. If the oven's not hot enough you'll just melt them and they won't actually bake."
The number two holiday seller at Holly's is sticky toffee pudding.
"Because it's to die for," said McClelland. "The sauce? You wanna bathe in it."
There are few shop owners more passionate about food than McClelland, co-owner of Holly's with her sister, Holly Cascone.
Preparing delicious holiday food is truly a family effort.
"My sister makes the pizelle cookies but it was my grandmother's recipe.and I think it came from my great grandmother," said McClelland. "Molasses trees is my recipe that I made since I was a teenager."
Holly's also bakes traditional jewish cookies rugelach and bread from scratch in yummy flavours such as cinnamon swirl and sage and onion.
And 12 of Lori's favourite hors d'oeuvres are on the Christmas menu, including asian meatballs, risotto balls and turkey meatballs with cranberry glaze.
The asian meatballs are made with pork from her father's Ficklewood Farm.
Customers are greeted with an intricate gingerbread house just inside the door at Holly's.
From there on in it's a feast for the eyes.
McClelland loves the holidays because people go out of their way to make it special for their families and Holly's offers all natural products without additives.
"I think people just like coming in and just looking at all the stuff," McClelland said. "It's just a special place. People save it for special occasions so if you want to get something special for your family at Christmas you come to Holly's."
Holly's Sweets and Eats is located at 12 Commerce Park Drive, Unit L
www.hollyssweetsandeats.com
