National Cookie Day Was Proclaimed By…A TV Character!

National Cookie Day is observed annually on December 4th.  We can thank the Dutch for more than windmills and tulips.  The English word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word “koekie” meaning little cake.

There have been cookie-like hard wafers in existence for as long as baking has been documented.  This is because they traveled well however, they were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by modern day standards.

The origin of the cookie appears to begin in Persia in the 7th century, soon after the use of sugar became common in the region.  They were then spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain.  Cookies were common in all levels of society throughout Europe by the 14th century, from the royal cuisine to the street vendors.

Cookies arrived in America in the 17th century.  Macaroons and gingerbread cookies were among the popular early American cookies.

In most English-speaking countries outside of North America, the most common word for cookie is biscuit.  In some regions, both terms, cookies and biscuits are used.

Cookies are classified into different categories, with the most common ones being:

HISTORY

The Cookie Monster also proclaimed his own National Cookie Day in the 1980 book The Sesame Street Dictionary.  Even though the day was proclaimed, there was never a date associated with it.