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A Brief History of Holiday Cookies

Gingerbread man wood cookie moldIn Medieval times, Solstice celebrations featured cookies as special treats. Sugar and spices were precious commodities, so people used them to make small portable treats suitable to give guests. It became common to offer these treats as gifts during solstice celebrations. When Christmas celebrations became popular, this traditional gift continued. Common medieval era spices are still used in today’s cookies including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and molasses.

Queen Elizabeth the 1st of England is credited as the first to shape gingerbread cookies - they were molded into the shapes of her favorite courtiers like Robert Dudley and Sir Walter Raleigh, as well as important dignitaries and guest at royal dinners. The Queen’s bakers shaped and decorated these by hand to resemble the people they represented.

Soon gingerbread men became popular among the general public and molds were created to speed up the process. The resulting cookies took on a more uniform shape. These molds soon gave way toC cookie cutters created by tinsmiths in the 1600’s. They began to make forms to cut out the increasingly popular gingerbread man even faster. The now commonly available cutters helped bring gingerbread men to the common man. These cut outs were brought to the colonies in what would become the United States.

Soon tinsmiths around the globe began making cookie cutters in new shapes and a variety of sizes. By the 1800’s they were widely available in shops and through peddlers. By the end of the 1800s machine produced cookie cutters increased availability to consumers. These novel items became common staples in kitchen across the country. They could be ordered from catalogs and imported from around the globe. While tinsmiths started the trend, cookie cutters can now be found made from aluminum, plastic, copper, and even wood.  

Global Trends and Regional FavoritesLebkuchen

By the 1500's Christmas cookies had become wildly popular in Europe. German families baked Lebkuchen and buttery Spritz. People in Sweden enjoyed Papparkakor which is a spicy ginger and black pepper cookie. In Norway they enjoyed a lemon and cardamom wafer known as Krumkake. Europeans brought these traditions to the U.S. with the first pilgrims, but other group contributed to today’s traditions as well. 

Countries in Africa introduced the world to benne (sesame) seeds and peanuts which they used in confections like brittle or thin biscuit wafer like cookies.

While Native Americans made a version of power bars to help sustain them through the cold winter months. Combining dried fruit, seeds and nuts with mashed camas roots, local area tribes made cakes and breads. These were undoubtable enjoyed around the longhouse warmed by fire during the long cold winter nights. It feels safe to assume a family or band would have a favorite flavor, a specific fruit or nut, they would have made into cakes that were saved for special occasions or circumstances and shared as part of a celebration.

What smorgasbord of Christmas cookies would be complete without the Latin American contribution of Chocolate? Ingredients from all over the world, spices, butter, seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits have been used to create our Christmas favorites.

Family Traditions

Without grocery stores or corner markets, pioneer families had to utilize what they could make and store through the winter months. Finding ways to provide special treats during the winter months became a challenge that industrious pioneers solved much like early European families. Dried spices and naturals and easy to store sweeteners like apples and honey were accessible year round. These became the ingredients used to make the small sweets that helped celebrate the holidays.

Recipe CardsMany modern families continue long traditions of holiday treats and cookies creating warm memories that start with digging out the bag of cookies cutters. Mixing frosting in different bowls, stirring in the drops of food coloring trying to get the colors just right. Kids gather around a table filled with icing, sprinkles, decorations, and butter knives. A large platter piled high with plain sugar cookies. The decorating begins and everyone shuffles around to get the right colors, share the sprinkles and see what others are doing. Oops the top of that tree broke off, guess I should eat the whole cookie. Starting slow and meticulous trying to create a thing of beauty, but after a few cookies, resorting to slathering on one or two colors in increasingly larger bobs hoping sprinkles will help hide the imperfect icing. It all ends with a sticky table and frosting covered kids smiling as they proudly hold a plate of decorated cookies.

Cookie Exchanges

Cookie exchanges have become a popular activity for coworkers and friends. Everyone brings in a couple dozen of their favorite homemade cookies to exchange. Then participants get to take home a variety of cookies. This is a fun way to share and enjoy everyone’s favorite.

Cookie PlateIf you don’t bake, fear not, locally you can also find bake sales around the holidays. These allow you to gather cookies and candies while supporting local organizations. One annual tradition is put on by the Prospectors and Gold-diggers who have a rummage style sale in the Dr. Snapp house on River Road. Each year they offer plates of mixed cookies. Buy a couple so you can share with family and friends and still take some home to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate or tea. 

As we spend more time at home and in the kitchen, it is a great year to try new recipes and find your next favorite holiday cookie. Recipes can be found in abundance on the internet or in your grandma’s well used recipe book. Find the dirtiest page in the cookie section, that page will contain your grandma’s favorite cookie recipe. I would wager it’s better than anything you will find using google.