Cookies play a special role in our lives. The English word comes from the Dutch word kookie, which means “litte cake.” When bakers used to need to test their overs when baking a cake, they would put a little batter into a tin and cook that first. They have different names all over the world. English cookies are “biscuits, Spanish cookies are “Gallestas,” German cookies are “Keks,” etc.
Cookie fears are as diverse as the planet. They come in a wide assortment of sizes, tastes, textures and colors. To prepare them, they can be dropped, molded, pressed, rolled, be bars or refrigerated. Refrigerator cookies dough is cooled, rolled into into a log, sliced and then baked. You can have gluten free cookies.
Modern day Christmas cookies trace their ancestry back to Medieval Europe. These delicacies have been left out for Santa on Christmas Eve by children in Canada and the United States since the 1930s. Ruth Wakefield is said to have invented the American classic, chocolate chip cookie recipe. Wedding cookies are popular in at least a few cultures such as Mexico and Italy.
Wedding cookies also have a place in American weddings. It’s no secret that Americans love cookies. Two billion cookies are consumed a year in the United States. That’s 300 cookies a person. They can be found in 95.2% of households.
One American tradition is the wedding cookie table. Guests at a wedding reception are met by a large table with an assortment of cookies laid out in lieu of a wedding cake. Southwestern Pennsylvania is credited with beginning this tradition. Family members typically make the cookies themselves. This is a very popular practice in the Pittsburgh area. Since its start, it has spread to other parts of the United States, mostly along the East Coast.
Other popular wedding cookies include Mexican wedding cookies and Italian wedding cookies. They are very similar to Russian teacakes or shortbread and have a simple recipe of flour, sugar, butter, and ground nuts. They are rolled into balls or made into little crescents and covered with powdered sugar. I
Cookies may be ideal for snacking but they also make great gifts. They can be sent by mail. Cookie baskets can be ordered online. Corporate gift boxes are becoming more popular.Personalized wedding cookies can be ordered for delivery for that special day.
Most of us remember fondly the cookies and milk we had as children. For many families, baking and decorating cookies at the holidays is a tradition that is passed from generation to generation. Old handwritten cookie recipes go down the line as well and when we eat them, it’s not just the taste we are savoring but the memories they evoke. For just as many, the smell of cookies baking transports them back to a different time. That makes sense the olfactory system is close to the memory center in the brain and few people have bad memories associated with cookies baking.
Regardless of where someone is from or what they do for a living, the cookie represents good things for most people. They are an accessible indulgence for many around the globe. Oh, and they’re so small, you can have just one, right?
