Geneva church's Cookie Walk tradition celebrates Its 33rd year

One of Geneva's oldest and tastiest holiday traditions returns for its 33rd year when the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva hosts its annual Cookie Walk from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.

Held in conjunction with the city's popular Christmas Walk celebration, the Cookie Walk offers a wide array of festive holiday cookies for sale, home-baked by church members. For $14, customers can purchase a box to be filled with cookies they select. Due to health department rules, "cookie elves" will place choices into customers' boxes as they walk through the cookie room. With hundreds of dozens of cookies to choose from, people often fill more than one box.

Money raised at the event goes to support the work of the church and the social justice programs it sponsors, including Habitat for Humanity homebuilding and local nonprofit organizations such as Lazarus House and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Church members and friends Jenny Montgomery and Molly MacKay Zacker have been baking for 16 years together, cranking out nearly 50 dozen the last five years or so. When asked if they have any favorites, Jenny replied, "Molly makes a fantastic rugelach and I have a 'Great Aunt Margie' butter cookie. We are always looking for specialty cookies for the year." What motivates these bakers? Jenny explains, "It turns into a little party. Over the years, our kids wander in and help, our husbands unwrap chocolate kisses and are always 'testing' the product. But the most secret ingredient in our baking tradition is friendship."

Each year, the lines to buy cookies form early and sell out fast.

For details, call (630) 232-2350 or visit www.uusg.org.