The popularity of cookies can be judged from the fact that the word is used as a term of endearment. And what’s not to like about cookies? They’re sweet, easy to carry, and provide a much-needed shot of energy to anyone who needs it: children just returned home from school, weary hikers or office workers struggling with the mid-morning slump. From the cookies and milk that kids leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve to gourmet cookie delivery, cookies also make ideal gifts, sharing the sweetness.
A global history of cookies
In England, most people would have to do a bit of mental translation to understand a request for cookies. That’s because the Brits call them biscuits and eat them regularly as an accompaniment to tea. But cookies are found across the world, and if traveling, you should have no trouble staying well stocked with emergency supplies. Only remember to call them galletas in Spain, keks in Germany and biscotti in Italy.
The most likely derivation of the American word is from the Dutch word for “little cake”, or keokje. Historical records from the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, later renamed New York, speak of small cakes or cookies as far back as 1703.
But do they travel?
Cookies have been popular over the centuries for their sweetness and portability. They can last for an indefinite period of time without spoiling, they pack a big nutrition and taste punch for their size, and they come in almost infinite varieties, so one can never get bored with eating cookies. Their convenience is probably the most important reason that the basic recipe for cookies has remained unchanged over the centuries, combining flour, sugar and butter or another oil.
The earliest cookies were almost certainly used to test the temperature of the oven before baking cakes. Cooks classify cookies according to the way the dough has been prepared: drop, molded, pressed, refrigerated, bar, and rolled. Ordinary people, of course, classify cookies by ingredients, texture and shape. Each country and region has its favorites: in the U.S., snicker doodles and chocolate chip cookies reign supreme.
A sweet gift
Cookies have always been popular as gifts. The earliest Christmas cookies can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe. The custom of leaving cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve originated in the 1930s in the U.S. and Canada. Nowadays, with a wide selection of cookie flavors, gourmet cookie delivery is a great gift idea.
Gourmet cookie delivery can be used for many occasions. Gourmet cookies make unique corporate gifts. Cookie gift boxes let people know you’re thinking of them. It’s even possible to order cookies online for delivery, making it easy to send care packages to your niece or nephew in a college dorm, living away from home for the first time. Wedding cookies like heart-shaped cookies, lemon bars, peanut butter surprises, and pecan tassies make a thoughtful and practical gift.
Gourmet cookies in a range of flavors and shapes are a caring gift that will be appreciated by recipients.