It is Christmastime. When we think of Christmas, we think of presents, a tree, lights, caroling, and cookies! OK. We give gifts to show our love. The evergreen tree is God’s everlasting love towards us. Jesus is the light of the world. We sing about this time. Then cookies? Why cookies? Sugar and treats have evolved from medieval times to our modern, fanciful creations.
Beginnings
The very first cookies were neither soft nor sweet. Technically, they were popular because they were hard and lasted for weeks without spoiling. Indeed, they were called biscuits.
The cookies go back to the monasteries of the Middle Ages, where monks had access to sugar and the spices we now associate with Christmas cookies: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom. These spices were added to dried fruit like citron, apricots, and dates, adding sweetness and texture to the dessert tray.
These items, along with ingredients added to lard and butter, would have been prized as expensive delicacies by medieval cooks. Only on the most important holiday could families afford treats like these, which led to a baking bonanza to prepare for Christmas. And unlike pies or cakes, cookies could be easily shared with friends and neighbors. Our modern Christmas cookies date back to these medieval gifts.
Modern Cookies
We think of traditional Christmas flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; those are the same spices medieval cooks would have used in their cookies.
Gingerbread is a classic Christmas cookie that would have tasted similar back in the Middle Ages. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace combine to make a snappy, spicy taste. Gingerbread uses molasses as a sweetener, something that medieval cooks would use, as refined sugar was so expensive. However, these cooks would not have made gingerbread men. The first person to try that was none other than Queen Elizabeth I of England, who had the cookie molded into the shapes of her favorite courtiers.
Now you know the beginnings of cookies—time to make some and share with friends.
