More than a year of planning has gone into our latest big project, and we are beyond thrilled that our building at 8126 Germantown Avenue is about to become a piece of Philadelphia history.

More: A Mural is Growing

For many people, thoughts of Christmas bring about fond memories: twinkling lights, holiday carols, presents, and—of course—heaping platters of fresh-baked cookies made using family recipes. These memories are a little different for me. Since I loved atop my family’s bakery for most of my childhood, Christmas meant working in the shop, baking German cookies and treats for the people of Philadelphia.

My job was to roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Since I was just little, I had to stand on top of an icing barrel to see the counter. The cookies would often get lost in the mound of powdered sugar on the counter, so I would make a game of dropping them in, and then trying to find them.

More: It's German Cookie Time