Cookies
Christmas and Hannukah are the time of the year to bake cookies. My grandmother's recipe notebook has many cookie recipes, to post and share:
Chocolate Kisses
Date Kisses
Friends of the House
Hussar Donuts
Cookies have been tightly linked to Christmas since the Middle Ages. This can be traced to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits when many modern ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the West. By the 16th century, Christmas biscuits became popular across Europe, with Lebkuchen being favored in Germany and pepparkakor in Sweden, while in Norway krumkake was popular.
Cookie-like hard wafers have existed for as long as baking is documented, in part because they survive travel very well. Early cookies were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern standards.
Sweet cookies seem to have their origins in 7th century Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors. The first documented instance of the figure-shaped gingerbread man was at the court of Elizabeth I of England in the 16th century. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests.
Besides the fun of baking cookies and sharing them with family and friends, it is a great activity to bake cookies with kids. We have a fun time baking with my grandchildren and also get rewards at the end when the cookies are ready, hot from the oven. It is also my chance to have quiet time to communicate with my otherwise constantly active grandchildren.
Baking has huge benefits for kids. Hands-on cooking activities help children develop confidence and skills. Following recipes encourages children to be self-directed and independent. It also teaches them to follow directions and develop problem-solving skills. Baking also helps children’s fine motor and eye-hand coordination skills by chopping, mixing, squeezing, and spreading.