For the first time in several years, the women’s fellowship group at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Detroit Lakes is reviving an old holiday tradition: the Gingerbread Cookie Bake.
Gingerbread men - and women - will be featured at the Congregational UCC’s Christmas Tea & Bake Sale, set to take place this Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Several Congregational Church members gathered there on the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, to revive the old holiday tradition, which was started by the late Helen Benshoof and later, carried on by Eleinore Anderson.
“Helen (Benshoof) was long known as ‘The Cookie Lady’ by children and adults as well,” said church member Joann Knapp. “She had cookies to distribute all year long, but at Christmas there were the special gingerbread cookies. They were a part of the holiday for many people, and Helen will always be remembered for them.”
When Benshoof was no longer able to continue the tradition, longtime Congregational Church member Eleinore Anderson took over the gingerbread project.
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“She (Anderson) would make the dough and organize the women to gather at the church and do the baking,” Knapp said. “Then they would distribute the cookies to the children (at the church), on the Sunday before Christmas.”
After Anderson passed away, the gingerbread project only lasted a few more years, before the dwindling number of participants made it too difficult to continue.
“This year, we decided we needed to revive the old gingerbread project, so that’s what we did,” said Knapp.
“This year, our Christmas Tea and Bake Sale is featuring gingerbread men and women, in honor of two members who contributed greatly to the life of this church for many years,” she added.
The Congregational United Church of Christ is located at 900 Lake Ave. in Detroit Lakes. Admission to the Christmas Tea is $8 per person.
The gingerbread men and women will be on sale for $1 apiece - and if you buy two, you will receive Benshoof’s original gingerbread cookie recipe - “written by her own hand,” Knapp said - at no additional cost.
Follow Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporter Vicki Gerdes on Twitter at @VickiLGerdes .
