A Little History on the Cookie!

Ah, the cookie. Who doesn't love them? But do you know where they came from? Who thinks cookie history as they're reading the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag? Not many. So here's a brief history of on of man's favorite desserts!

The first cookies were actually test cakes. Folks wanted to make sure their "ovens" weren't going to burn their confectionary creation, so they tested the heat by baking a small portion of batter. This practice presumably started in 7th Century Persia. Once war and exploration brought sugar to the Mediterranean and Europe, cookies soon followed. By the time the 14th century rolled around, they were pretty common. Cookbooks as far back as the Renaissance era had cookie recipes in them. That tells you how popular they were back in the day. Back in the Elizabethan era, one of the most popular cookies around was a square short-cookie made with egg yolks and spices baked on parchment paper. Simple but yummy.

Of course, time brings improvements to everything, including cookies! Around 1840, cookies were being made commercially. Over the years some of the base ingredients changed, and some pretty popular cookies were invented.

American cookies had fun, creative names like Jumbles and Cry Babies, When electric refrigerators came along, "icebox cookies" become popular in the 1930s.

Every country had their favorite cookies, but we can't forget some of the most iconic cookies known to man...

Animal Crackers were first called “Animals” and it was P.T Barnum's circus that inspired name "Animal Crackers" and the iconic box design. 

Biscotti is the Italian word for “twice cooked” cookies and there are countries that have their own versions. 

The Chocolate Chip Cookie was invented by mistake in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Restaurant. She used semisweet chocolate instead of baker’s chocolate expecting it to melt into the dough, but it kept its shape. The recipe spread nationwide when Betty Crocker mentioned it on her radio series and Wakefield made a deal with Nestle to print it on the back of their bars. And so, the rest is history! 

In many of my historical westerns, if the women weren't baking pies, there were baking cookies! I've had readers say that if it's not pie one of my books makes them crave, then its cookies, and they complain that they always have to get up and get a cookie while they're reading! Of course they would. We all grew up with cookies and they will be a part of everyday life for years to come. 

Until next time,

Kit