Posted by Superberries Team on 12/4/2022 to Aronia Berry Recipes
Aroniaberry Thumbprint Cookies
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Americans lookforward to the winter holiday season, which, for many, features Christmas. Thesights, sounds, and flavors of the season help sustain us through the winter.Something most people can agree on is that the desserts of the season,especially the cookies, are a highlight. Here are 7 fun facts about cookies that you probably never knew.
1. The first cookie-style confections date back to the7th century in modern-day Iran. They started as test cakes thatallowed bakers to see if their wood-fired stoves had achieved the propertemperature for baking regular cakes. Eventually, bakers realized that thecrisper, crunchier cookies could be stored longer than moist cakes, and therecipes we know and love began to emerge.
2. By the 14th century, bakers all overEurope were making their own cookies. The word “cookie” as we use it in theUnited States, evolved from the Dutch word “koekje” which means “little cake,”a nod to their origins as test cakes. In other English-speaking countries,people refer to them as “biscuits” which derives from the Latin phrase “biscoctus”, meaning “twice baked”. That is also the origin of the Italian word“biscotti”.
3. Christmas cookies originated in Europe in theMiddle Ages. With the development of the spice trade and increasing access tosugar during this time, cooks were able to experiment with different flavors.Since spices and sugar were still expensive, most people could only afford tosplurge at the most important holidays. To this day, many Christmas cookiesfeature cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and dried fruits, the imported flavors medievalbakers used in their holiday cookies.
4. Few recipes are quite so emblematic of the Christmasholiday season around the world as gingerbread. The oldest recipes forgingerbread are recorded in ancient Greece and Egypt where it was used forceremonial purposes. European crusaders returned from the Middle East with therecipes and the spices necessary for its preparation. One early European recipecalls for ground almonds, stale breadcrumbs, rosewater, sugar, and ginger,which was pressed into molds to be baked. White icing emphasized the imagesimprinted on the confection by the molds. Eggs and flour replaced thebreadcrumbs in the 16th century, which gives us the lighter gingerbreadwe know today.
5. Thoughgingerbread was a staple of Medieval Christmas cookies, gingerbread menoriginated in the Renaissance. Queen Elizabeth I asked her bakers to formcookies in the shapes of her favorite courtiers so she could present them withcookies baked in their likenesses.
6. In the 17th century, German and Dutch immigrantsintroduced cookie cutters and dessert molds to the American colonies, whichbegan the American tradition of Christmas cookies in festive shapes. What wouldthe holiday season be without iced bells, stockings, and, of course,gingerbread men?
7. From sugar cookies to tea cakes to thumbprintcookies, everyone has their favorites. Some experts report that Americansconsume about 300 cookies per person per year. Whether you like the tried-and-truetraditional recipes or prefer to try something new, there is no shortage ofrecipes on the internet to satisfy any discerning palate.
Try some new recipes to add to your cookie trays this year. Adding Aroniaberries to your recipes will add nutrients, bright flavor, and a brilliant popof holiday color. Here are two delicious recipes that are easy to make at homewith children. Your family and friends are sure to love them.
Aronia PinwheelCookie Recipe (superberries.com)
AroniaberryThumbprint Cookie Recipe (superberries.com)
