Thursday, December 19 2019 / Published in News
When we think about the cookies of Christmas past, we often think about ourownpast. Some of us have happy memories of freshly baked sugar cookies with red and green frosting and lots of sprinkles. For others it might be Russian tea cookies or brownies or even baklava depending on how cookies were defined in their homes. On Christmas Eve, in a house with small children, you’ll likely even see cookies left out for Santa.
Cookies are an ancient treat, but the cookies of today have little in common with their distant ancestors. The very first cookies were neither soft nor sweet. In fact, they were popular precisely because they were hard and lasted for weeks without spoiling. Called biscuits, they “have existed for as long as baking is documented…but…were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern standards.” (source: Wikipedia)
The closest thing to a modern cookie first appeared in the late 14th century when “one could buy little filled wafers on the streets of Paris…Renaissance cookbooks were rich in cookie recipes, and by the 17th Century, cookies were common-place.”
The First Christmas Cookies
Those who would like to take credit for the invention of the Christmas cookie will have to arm wrestle the Germans for it. They believe that Weihnachtsplätzchen, a term that refers specifically to cookies and broadly to holiday treats, encompasses the origin of Christmas baking. The tradition goes back to the monasteries of the middle ages where monks had access to sugar and the spices we now associate with Christmas cookies: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom.
It’s interesting that the word “cookie” comes from the Dutch word “koeptje” because the Dutch brought the first Christmas cookies to the new world in the 1600s. Four hundred years later we live in a country that can’t imagine Christmas without cookies. In fact, cookies may have become popular at this time of year because, unlike pies and cakes, they can be stored for longer periods of time. Before refrigeration, it was possible for cookies to be baked in advance and kept on hand for visitors or given away as gifts.
Modern Christmas Cookies
In the average American household at the beginning of the 20th century, sugar was a luxury, iceboxes were used to keep food cold, and cooking was done on coal or wood stoves. As the gas range was introduced, cookies became more sophisticated because temperatures could be precisely maintained. Refrigeration allowed for the use of chilled doughs. When the Great Depression of the 1930s ended, buttery, sugary cookies took America by storm.
It was about this time that Great Grandma Irene Grebe began baking and selling her famous butterhorns. In 1941, when we moved into our first commercial bakery, cookies were on the menu. Our hand-decorated buttercream-iced sugar cookies are especially beautiful and have become a Milwaukee tradition during the Christmas season.Present your Christmas guests with a tray of our famous iced, tree-shaped cut out cookies, pecan fingers, and an assortment of our bite-sized holiday cookies. To get some in time for Santa, stop by our Lincoln Avenue bakery.We’re open 5am to 3pm this Christmas Eve.
FAQs
The earliest examples of Christmas cookies in the United States were brought by the Dutch in the early 17th century. Due to a wide range of cheap imported products from Germany between 1871 and 1906 following a change to importation laws, cookie cutters became available in American markets.
What is the symbolic meaning of Christmas cookies? ›
The practice of putting out cookies for Santa began in the 1930s during the Great Depression, when parents were trying to instill a sense of thankfulness in their children. Leaving goodies, perhaps in a sweet cookie jar, continues to be a way of sharing the holiday bounty.
What religion culture do Christmas cookies originate from? ›
The recipe was perfected by the Moravians, Protestant settlers from Germany who made Nazareth their home during the mid-1700s.
What is the history of cut out cookies at Christmas? ›
The secularization of cut out cookies at Christmastime probably owes its origin to the creation of edible Yule dollies in the 1800s. These were cut-outs in human shape, quite similar to the gingerbread men that many Americans enjoy creating (and eating) today.
What is the summary of Christmas cookies? ›
Summaries. A corporate agent is sent to a small town to buy a cookie company and shut down its factory. When she starts falling in love with the factory's owner, the town's Christmas spirit over takes her.
What is the number 1 Christmas cookie? ›
Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).
What were cookies originally called and where did it originate from? ›
The American use is derived from Dutch koekje "little cake", which is a diminutive of "koek" ("cake"), which came from the Middle Dutch word "koke".
Why do Jews eat black and white cookies? ›
“I think part of the cookie's appeal was its ubiquity in Jewish bakeries,” said Leah Koenig, the author of “The Little Book of Jewish Sweets.” That ubiquity meant generations of Jewish children got black and whites with their parents and grandparents, situating the cookies as a nostalgic treat in the collective memory.
Who eats the cookies at Christmas? ›
The parents drink the milk. They also eat the cookies, put out the presents, fill the stockings, and assemble the toys.
What are some fun facts about cookies? ›
3) Americans consume over 2 billion cookies a year, or 300 cookies for each person annually. 4) The Chocolate Chip is the most popular type of home-baked cookie. 5) Chocolate Chip cookies are Cookie Monster's favorite. His birthday is November 2nd and his original name was Sid on Sesame Street.
Baking brings people together. It is a time to gather in the kitchen and make memories. Baking also represents the giving spirit of Christmas. It is a way to show love and appreciation, and it is a fun activity for the whole family – a great way to bond with loved ones.
How many cookies does Santa eat on Christmas night? ›
More From Delish: Ho, Ho, Ho!
(If we're talking about just the U.S., it's approximated that of the 100 million households, about 1 million are serving sweets to St. Nick.) According to An Idea, If Santa takes two bites of each cookie served around the world, he consumes roughly 336,150,386 cookies.
What is the tradition of Christmas cookies for Santa? ›
Nicholas would fill them with treats, including cookies and other sweets. Over time, this tradition evolved, and instead of filling shoes with treats, people began leaving out treats for Santa Claus in the form of milk and cookies as a way of expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the gifts he would bring.
Why are cookies left out for Santa? ›
An Act of Gratitude and Generosity
Offering milk and cookies is an expression of gratitude. The treat shows appreciation to Santa for the gifts he leaves behind on Christmas Eve. It also signifies generosity, as you are sharing something with Santa, a quality often encouraged during the festive season.
What is the cultural significance of holiday treats like gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies? ›
Houses made of gingerbread may have been inspired in the early 1800s by the Brothers Grimm, who wrote about a witch's cottage made of candy and cookies in "Hansel and Gretel." Waves of immigrants brought gingerbread to America (George Washington's mother is credited with one recipe), and the houses became particularly ...
What is the history of cookie decorating? ›
Cookie decorating dates back to at least the 14th century when in Switzerland, springerle cookie molds were carved from wood and used to impress Biblical designs into cookies.
