Christmas Cookies

cookie monster devours mankinds deliciousness

I didn't eat this 

 Traditional cakes and cookies were around long before Christmas was celebrated like we do today. People would make them for parties, birthdays, special occasions, or just to make them because they are delicious. Christmas cookies as we know them today trace their roots back to medieval times, where cooks would prepare large amounts of them for special occasions. ( feasts, victory, etc.) Many of the ingredients they used are still used today, they used cinnamon, almonds, dried fruit and many more. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, molds, and festive holiday cookie decorations to America. The Dutch's New Years Cookies were often times molded into crazy designs and patterns. The German Lebkuchen (gingerbread) was the first known cake or cookie to be associated with Christmas.  Did you know that animal crackers originated as edible ornaments? 

By the 1500's, Christmas cookies had caught on all over Europe. German families baked up pans of Lebkuchen and buttery Spritz cookies. Papparkakor (spicy ginger and black-pepper delights) were favorites in Sweden; the Norwegians made krumkake (thin lemon and cardamom-scented wafers). The earliest Christmas cookies in America came ashore with the Dutch in the early 1600's. Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie? Where did it originate from? Do you know the recipe? Leave your response below. 

German Gingerbread isn't very different
from the gingerbread today!

Dutch New years cookie