Info about Fresh Cookies
Cook
Without a doubt, cookies are amongst the tastiest treats in the world. They come in a great number of varieties, and can be made simply at home- nothing can beat cookies ‘just like Grandma used to make them’. But where do they come from? And, perhaps most importantly, who makes the best cookies? Read on to find out more.
‘Cookie’ in the American use of the term refers to a small and usually round treat that is made of fat, flour, eggs, sugar and often a topping, such as chocolate chips, to round it off. It may be difficult to visualise when you look at it, but your cookie has roots dating back to 7th Century Persia. They became common after the people of the area discovered a number of ways to use sugar, and its use increased throughout the region.
Through various conquests, mainly the Moorish invasion of Spain, cookies spread throughout Europe, and were commonplace in all areas of society by the 14th Century. Cookies came into their own with the massively increased presence of naval exploration, as they kept well and were easy to store. A particularly hard cookie, made from nuts and known as the jumble was commonly used on voyages at sea. Cookies reached American shores in the 17th Century, and were called ‘koekje’ by the Dutch settlers. This word was altered over time into the modern form- ‘cookie’.
There is no textbook definition of what makes the best cookie. There is such a large variety that it is almost impossible to decide upon the best type. This is no real trouble for us, however, as we get to enjoy the huge selection and take in the various flavours. Some cookies are soft, whilst others are hard. This depends on how long the cookie is left to bake in the oven. Chocolate may be used at different stages of a cookie’s production to alter its flavour. Some may have chocolate chips added after the baking has taken place, whilst others may contain a chocolate filling. By varying the ingredients used in the manufacturing process, bakers can create an almost unlimited array of different cookies, such as macaroons, gingerbread, brownies, Oreos, shortbreads, snickerdoodles and many more.
One of the most special things about Cookies is that anyone can make them at home, rather than buying them from the grocery store. They can be created from scratch, or by using a pre made mix. Perhaps the most well known mix is provided by Nestle, with their toll house brand. The range began an incredible 70 years ago, and is still going strong today. The story goes that Ruth Wakefield, from Massachusetts in the 1930’s, found that cutting chunks of Nestle chocolate and adding them to her cookies did not cause them to melt, as she expected, but instead held their shape and developed a soft and creamy texture. These cookies became incredibly popular at the Inn owned by the Wakefield family, and the recipe for Ruth’s ‘Toll House’ cookies soon started entering print, appearing on various newspapers before Nestle themselves decided to print the recipe on the wrappers of their semi-sweet chocolate bars. This became very popular with consumers, and eventually the marketing people at Nestle decided to look into ways for the Toll House recipe to be distributed for people to make more easily, and in 1939, began offering chunks of semi-sweet chocolate to be sold as part of a cookie mix.
So, next time you’re about to eat a cookie, regardless of the type, take a minute to think about the long journey taken through history so that you can enjoy it today. It’ll make it taste all the more sweet.