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History of the Christmas Cookie

12/10/2017

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Christmas cookies have a long, rich history of representing home, family, comfort, joy, and tradition. Their history dates back to Europe in the 1500's.  And America's melting pot has been filled with family holiday cookie recipes handed down through many generations from around the world.  Christmas cookies are a tangible reminder of love, care and craft.   Following are some fun facts about these delicious treats....and of course, a link to my holiday playlist for you to enjoy while baking a few treats of your own.
  • Christmas cookies first became a special once-a-year treat during the 1500's, when European laws restricted cookie baking to guildsman EXCEPT during the holidays when people were allowed to bake their own cookies at home.
  • German Lebkuchen (gingerbread) was probably the first cake/cookie to be traditionally related with Christmas. 
  • As early as 1597, Alsatians hung oblaten (decorated communion wafers) on their tannenbaum. Americans adopted this tradition, hanging Barnum’s Animal Cracker boxes on their Christmas trees in the 1800's (the boxes were designed for this purpose).
  • It is believed that the Dutch brought the tradition of Christmas cookies to the U.S. in the late 1700's. 
  • Holiday cut-out cookies can be traced back to colonial times when Yule dows (cut-out cookies often in the shape of the baby Jesus) were used as part of the Church of England's Christmas tradition of mumming,  where Christmas stories were acted out and food was used to help depict the stories.
  • In the 1800s, Pennsylvania Dutch children created large cut-out cookies as window decorations. Yule dows became popular again and were called Yule dollies. They were made with tin cutters and shaped like people, elaborately decorated with icing (like today’s gingerbread men). The face was always made out of a scrap of paper cut out of magazines, which had to be removed before the cookie was eaten. They were controversial because some factions felt the cookies were not religious enough.
  • Santa became associated with Christmas in the 1840's.   But the tradition of leaving cookies for Santa began during the Great Depression, as a way for parents to encourage generosity in their children.

Holiday Baking Playlist
1 Comment
Shed Builders Washington link
11/9/2022 11:22:42 am

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    Why I Bake

    June 16, 2017
    Baking is incredibly therapeutic for me.  It's not just about the yummy treats that come out of the oven.  It's about the act of preparing and sharing....a connection that's much deeper than mouth to stomach.  It's about the mindfulness of mixing the batter, kneading the dough, shaping the cookies, slicing the bars....It's the emotions and memories that arise from the aromas, the tastes, the colors, and the textures of the different ingredients and the baked treats.  There is a purpose to my baking beyond the finished products - it lies in the labor of my hands, mind and heart.  For me, baking is calming and brings me joy.

    My blog will share with you stories about various treats, occasional ramblings and reflections, and some of my learnings throughout my baking journey.  Hopefully it will help paint a picture of what makes KrisPetites unique -- the setting and feelings surrounding the items I bake and perhaps it will add a little intangible "sweetness" to your next KrisPetite treat.

    To begin, I will share a key ingredient to my baking: MUSIC.  That's right -- music is a constant in our home  - if my kids aren't playing it (they have a band in which my oldest plays guitar and sings and my youngest is the drummer), and if my "Sunday afternoon living room band" isn't practicing (I've got the drum kit so yep, I'm the drummer!), then music can be heard coming from at least one room in our house.  And when I bake, music is a key ingredient, just like sugar and butter.

    What type of music?  Well, it depends!  Is it a warm summer evening making berry pies and orange dreamsicle cupcakes?  Or a crisp fall day making pumpkin pies?   Is it a spring afternoon making lemon bars and pistachio macarons?  Or is it the holiday season? 

    Summer Evening Baking Playlist
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