Sugar Cookies: The History of A Christmas Staple (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of the Christmas sugar cookie? ›

Also called Amish sugar cookies or Nazareth sugar cookies, the modern sugar cookie was created by the Moravians, who settled in the Nazareth area from Germany during the mid-18th century. Pennsylvania adopted the Nazareth sugar cookie as the official state cookie in 2001.

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).

There are often different types of sugar used in a single recipe. With more light brown or dark brown sugar, the finished cookies will be darker in color. The modern sugar cookie was originally called the Nazareth Sugar Cookie, after German Protestants who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and improved the recipe.

At a time when most families were not that well off, people started making cookies and sweets as a way to share gifts during the medieval Christmas season. Christmas in many cultures was a time of visiting friends and family.

The term “sugar cookie" was coined as a way to help differentiate plain, sugar-based cookies from the peanut butter and oatmeal-flavored cookies, which had also begun to spring up at the time. The “sugar cookie" recipe continued to evolve over the subsequent years.

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.

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

1) Gingerbread

During medieval times, gingerbread cookies shaped like different subjects were a staple at fairs in Germany, England, France, and Holland. In the late 17th century, gingerbread became associated with Christmas.

Chocolate Chip cookies

You can never go wrong with these classic, delicious cookies. Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips.

Let's have a hearty hip-hip-hooray for the German Protestants, who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and invented the early sugar cookie. Their crumbly cookie made with butter and shaped into round or keystone shapes were a sweet hit from their formation in the late 1700s.

What does sugar cookies do to your body? ›

Cookies tend to be high in refined sugar and saturated fats. They're generally considered unhealthy, and eating them often can be a risk factor for developing type II diabetes, obesity and Alzheimers. Currently, across the globe, more than 1.6 billion people over 15 years old are overweight or obese.

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

Pricking holes in a short dough (one that's high in fat, and has a flaky or crisp texture after baking, such as shortbread or the crust of some bar cookies), helps to vent the steam created in the oven while baking. You can use a fork or a dough docker to prick small holes all over the surface of the dough.

For so many around the world, cookies symbolize that spirit of giving. In all shapes and flavors, they're a bite-size emblem for generosity, solidarity, and seasonal joy. Here is the recipe for the first recorded American Christmas cookie.

Medieval Europeans found that cookies were an easy food to bake in large quantities and store through the winter. Because these pastries could be cooked in large batches, many families used them as gifts to share with friends and family during the holiday season.

For so many around the world, cookies symbolize that spirit of giving. In all shapes and flavors, they're a bite-size emblem for generosity, solidarity, and seasonal joy. Here is the recipe for the first recorded American Christmas cookie.

The Moravian spice cookie is a descendant of the German Lebkuchen cookie. Moravians brought the treat with them when they immigrated to central North Carolina in 1753, attracted by the region's fertile soil, plentiful water, and moderate climate.

Roots in ancient Greece

Meli means honey, a basic ingredient in this recipe and the best melomakarona are those that give you the taste of honey. Makaronea / μακαρωνια / makaria was a kind of a pie or a sweet small bread or cookie that was offered during the farewell / funeral dinner or offered to the soul.