December 22#: National Cookie Exchange Day

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2 years ago Robin

Nothing says “holiday cheer” like a plate of freshly-baked cookies!
Enjoy the fun of giving and receiving during the winter holiday season and celebrate by participating in National Cookie Exchange Day.
According to some culinary historians, our modern-day idea of cookies may have been a lucky byproduct of cake. The earliest modern cookies, in fact, could just have been dollops of cake batter used to test if the oven was hot enough!
Either way cookies’ roots trace back hundreds of years, first appearing in Persia in the 7th century as this was very near where sugar originated, and Persia was one of the earliest empires to get a hold of it, and then becoming common in Europe in the 14th century, when Spain was invaded and after the Crusaders established the spice trade, sugar, and the delectable cookies that it produced.
In the 14th century, sweet cookies could be purchased along the streets in Paris.
Not long after, they made their way into Christmastime traditions, particularly related to gingerbread style cookies that included spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and, of course, ginger.
Other ingredients in cookies at the time may have included dried fruits or nuts.
As time has passed, Christmas cookies have become more elaborate in flavors and styles, with the inclusion of shaped cookie cutters as well as festive and colorful frosting, icing and decorations.
Nowadays cookie making is often a winter holiday activity that many families consider to be a tradition, and recipes are often handed down through generations.

However, cookie recipes started to appear in cookbooks in the 1500s and baking became a serious profession in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Cookies became works of art and featured careful measurements of particularly-chosen ingredients. In the late 1600s, Dutch, English, and Scotch immigrants brought European cookies, like shortbreads and simple butter cookies, to America.
Even if cookie exchanges are a centuries-old tradition dating back to medieval times!
The classic idea is of a holiday party in which guests bring a selection of homemade cookies to trade with one another.
Founded by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, National Cookie Exchange Day falls at the end of December, which is a perfect time to enjoy and appreciate the taste and beauty of each family member’s cookie creations.