Once, I had hands as soft as silk. They were pale, unlined, each finger was capped in a perfect shell-pink nail. Slowly these hands began to feel their idleness, to feel emptiness, and they longed to be of use.

Now my hands are still pale, but they are chapped, mottled with freckles, lined with fine scars, and embroidered with dots of calluses. They have lived, loved, provided. They have soothed, kneaded, mended.

They are chapped from early morning walks to greet the winter sun as it peeks over the pale horizon.

Freckles colour parts exposed to the sun on an afternoon in the garden, and on the drive to see a friend.

Scars map stories of dinner party desserts, mornings with an over-eager puppy, and the embroidery needles of long ago.

Calluses dot their palms where tightly-clutched yellow pencils rub while words are scribbled in the middle of the night, or a potato peeler’s weight rests comfortably doing the work needed for empty bellies to be filled.

These hands are not perfectly pretty.

But, these hands are perfectly mine. Each line, scratch, or scar tells a story. Each mark is a testament to my life.

These hands, they are my own.

Today, they stirred and rolled and served these White Chocolate Rolled Spelt Cookies. Please enjoy.

White Chocolate Rolled Spelt Cookies

Makes about 40-45 cookies

Ingredients:

• 200 grams butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup wholemeal plain flour
• 1/2 cup white plain flour
• 3 cups rolled spelt (you can substitute rolled oats if you don’t have spelt)
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line three large cookie sheets with baking paper.
2. Place softened butter, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer beat ingredients until creamed and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
4. Mix in flours, and then add rolled spelt and white chocolate chips. Mix well.
5. Roll large teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place about two inches apart on the cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 9-10 minutes; switching trays around halfway through cooking time. Keep a careful eye on the cookies as they are done as soon as they become golden on the edges.
7. Remove trays from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.