Welcome to our series featuring Food Holidays: December 2022: National Cookie Day. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t mind having a Cookie or two. With Charlie’s Birthday at the end of the month maybe I should ask Charlie and David to make Cookies with me. Would you like to join us for a #familybakeoff?
National Cookie Day/ #NationalCookieDay
National Cookie Day is December 4 so get ready to refill your Cookie jar. Do you prefer your Cookies to have a crunchy snap, or soft and chewy? Either way, eating Cookies brings us happiness. We should all eat Cookies more often. Just don’t tell your doctor.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL COOKIE DAY
In America, a Cookie is described as a thin, sweet, small Cake. By definition, a Cookie can be a variety of hand-held, Flour-based sweet Cakes, either crisp or soft. Each Country has its own word for “Cookie.” In England and Australia they’re referred to as Biscuits, in Spain Cookies are Galletas. Germans call Cookies Keks. In Italy Cookies have several names to identify the various forms of Cookie. In America, the Dutch word “Koekje” was Anglicized to “Cookie.” The sweet treat came to America through the Dutch in New Amsterdam in the late 1620s. The earliest reference to Cookies in America is in 1703. When the Dutch in New York provided 800 Cookies for a funeral.
Hard Cookie-like Wafers have existed for as long or maybe even longer as baking has been documented. However, Cookies were not sweet enough to be considered Cookies by modern standards. Cookies appear to have some origins in 7th Century CE Persia, shortly after the use of Sugar became relatively common in the region. Cookies spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14 Century, Cookies were common in all levels of Society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.
With global travel becoming widespread at that time, Cookies made a natural travel snack, a modernized equivalent of the travel Cakes consumed throughout history. One of the most popular early Cookies, which traveled especially well and became known on every continent by similar names, was the Jumble: a relatively hard Cookie made largely from Nuts, Sweetener, and Water.
NATIONAL COOKIE DAY ACTIVITIES
- There’s a bakery hiding in your neighborhood with the best darn Cookies you’ve never had. Ask family or consult Yelp, to find the best Cookie in your Town.
- Many of the most famous Cookies were the result of happy accidents in the kitchen. Try experimenting on your next batch to see where you land!
- If you’re really looking to make this National Cookie Day count, you could get ambitious and host a charity bake-off, donating the funds raised to your favorite charity!
5 HEALTHY COOKIES FOR NATIONAL COOKIE DAY
- Lemon-Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze: Put Ricotta in the batter to create a Cookie that’s beautiful and tender. The finish, a sweet-tart glaze, contributes towards a melt-in-your-mouth Cookie. Lookup a recipe low in calories and high in taste.
- Cherry-Almond Chocolate Clusters: Why not try an antioxidant-loaded Cookie composed of dark Chocolate, toasted chopped Almonds, and dried Cherries? Cherries’ strong flavor perfectly offsets Nuts and Chocolate, creating a well-balanced Cookie.
- Almond Snowballs: Almond-flavored Cookies with shredded Coconut which, with the right ingredients. These Cookies come in at just 64 calories. For an added twist you can include slivered Almonds and half a candied Cherry.
- Chocolate Macaroons have healthy recipes for Chocolate Macaroons with some coming in at just 54 calories each.
- No-Bake Chewy Truffle Cookies: Even no-bake chewy Truffle Cookies that come loaded with dried Dates. Bound together by Cocoa Powder, reduced-fat Peanut Butter, and a little bit of Butter.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL COOKIE DAY
- Everyone’s got a favorite Oatmeal Cookie ? Chocolate Chip Cookie or Sugar Cookie? They can’t all be the best Cookie. Any of these Cookies could certainly be someone’s favorite. With the vast variety of Cookie types across the globe, you’re bound to get ten different answers if you ask ten different people.
- Does Cookies really need elaboration? We’ve all got fond memories, filled with nostalgia, of eating Cookies as a youngster. For most of us, that love for Cookies never left us.
- If you bake a massive Cake, it’s easy to eat too much. Think about it: even after cutting out a massive slice, there’s still a ton of Cake left and it barely looks like you’ve made a dent. With Cookies, it’s easier to stop at one.
Facts about Cookies:
The name cookie derives from the Dutch word koekje or koekie, which means little Cake.
The origin of Cookies appear to be in 7th Century AD Persia.
Cookies spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain.
In the Middle East, Chocolate Chip Cookies are topped with Chocolate Sauce and eaten with a knife and fork.
The Cookie Monster’s Cookies are actually Rice Cakes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
