Milk + Honey - Baking History
  • Home
  • About Milk + Honey
Home
About Milk + Honey
Milk + Honey - Baking History
  • Home
  • About Milk + Honey
Cookies

Sugar Cookies, It’s What’s for Dinner

January 4, 2018 by hannahabaffy No Comments

An annual tradition for many – the making of sugar cookies – has become like most things oft repeated, more of an obligation than a treat. Coupled with the fact that many consider the sugar cookie to be nothing more than the uninspired stepbrother of the chocolate chip cookie, we use them more as a vehicle for ingesting buttercream or a creative outlet. Lacking the interest to really make sugar cookies well, but unable to let go of the nostalgia they hold, we continue on like Sisyphus in our eternal struggle.

The Origin of Cookies

Though simple, the sugar cookie has fiercely held on to its place in the culinary world, through ups and downs that would have surely taken a lesser confection out long ago. Dating as far back as the 7th century, the ancient ancestor of the cookie emerged shortly after the commercial cultivation of sugar in Southeast Asia.

Originally cookies were nothing more than a product of unregulated kitchen equipment. It was a common practice when wood ovens were still in use, to bake a small amount of cake batter prior to baking a cake. This allowed the baker to be sure he had achieved the right temperature before placing his whole cake in the oven and potentially ruining it.

Probably the brainchild of some thrifty baker unwilling to continue throwing away “test cakes”, cookies became a category all their own. From those original cakes, a whole world of cookie creations were born: gingerbread, Shrewsbury cakes, and Springerle. Some were heavily spiced, studded with candied fruit, or stuffed with jams. There were hard cookies, and soft cookies, intricately decorated and exotically flavored. Some say that all of these should be considered the forbearers of the sugar cookie. When we look at the details, we see sugar cookies made a distinct way for themselves, not because of these other cookies, but in defiance of them.

You’re Not My Mommy

Some say jumbals (there is a multitude of divergent spellings for this)  were the closest thing our ancestors had to the modern sugar cookie. A simple amalgam, the ingredients of the jumbal were not far off from the sugar cookie, but these jumbals were intricately braided and knotted into designs before being boiled. This made them more akin to a bagel or a pretzel than a cookie, so I discard that theory.

The First “Real” Sugar Cookie

The first real sugar cookie doesn’t emerge until the 1700’s. Created by Dutch settlers in New York, and referred to as a koekje, this was the first cookie to use an alkaline leavener known as “pearl ash”, and was the real catalyst in the creation of today’s modern cookie. But the koekje still had far to go. The introduction of these instant leaveners allowed bakers to leave out the only things that really make cookies good. Completely eliminating eggs, and using scant amounts of butter, these cookies were baked until quite hard and were not very sweet.  In fact, they were pronounced to be better after six months of aging in the cellar. Cookies then were prized for their shelf life and economy over their texture and flavor.

Skimming off the Scum

America’s first cookbook, American Cookery written by Amelia Simmons and published in 1796, contains the first written recipe and set of instructions for the sugar cookie. Dubbed simply “Cookies” it is wedged firmly in the center of her chapter on cakes and begins with a command to “skim the scum from off the sugar” before moving on with the recipe. “Sugar scum” was a real and present danger in those days and yet another perfect example of why we should not romanticize the past.

Cookies, It’s What’s for Dinner

Not very tasty, people began to use sugar cookies for purposes other than sustenance. Durable and cheap, sugar cookies started being used as decorations during the Christmas holidays and for a while fell by the wayside as tastier sweets gained prominence. The puritanical notions of the Victorian era breathed new life into the sugar cookie. With spices considered overly exciting, and potentially immoral, the plain sugar cookie took back its place on pantry shelves. Still cheap to make and by the standards of the day considered rather nutritious, it was not unusual to see mothers serve their children cookies for dinner.

As the Victorian mindset began to fade and commercially processed cookies became more prominent, a new interest in making them taste good emerged. By the 1930’s we see a much richer sugar cookie with eggs, more butter, and the new addition of vanilla. Suddenly sugar cookies became desirable and were no longer relegated to the kid’s table.

Butter Out, Death Inducing Hydrogenated Fats In

Success was short lived as the 1950s’ infatuation with hydrogenated fats introduced recipes that pushed butter aside completely in order to feature vegetable shortening. In a cookie that doesn’t have much else going for it besides the butter, and no spices to speak of to mask the artificial flavor lent by shortening, this turn of events was a major blow. Though the cookies made with butter were still around, they now carried the moniker of “butter cookies” and came decorated with almonds on top to further distinguish them from the new “sugar cookie”.

This lasted until the 1980’s when mankind realized how horrible shortening tasted and in a sudden unanimous motion people across the country spit out their sugar cookies. Butter was back and cookies were better than ever! Keep that in mind when looking for a “traditional”, “old-fashioned” sugar cookie recipe to make with your kids, as anything predating the 1980’s will probably be pretty gross.

The Fly in the Ointment

As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. About the same time, the Dutch were creating their tough and tasteless koekje, Moravians in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, created something called the Nazareth cookie. With plenty of butter and nutmeg, these little gems are the delicious exception to a centuries-long line up of horrible sugar cookies.

 

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

                                                                                                                                    -Virginia Woolf

 

The Exceptional Nazareth Cookie

This cookie dough calls for the old-fashioned method of blending cooked egg yolks and raw egg yolks into the dough. What you get by doing this is an incredibly rich flavored cookie. One that’s totally worth the extra effort. 

Ingredients

3 Hard Cooked Egg Yolks

1 Lb. Butter, unsalted

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 cups all-purpose flour

3 Egg yolks, raw

1 Tablespoon brandy

Instructions

Start by hard boiling your eggs: place them in a saucepan of cold water and cover.

Bring the eggs and water to a rolling boil. As soon as the water reaches a boil reduce the heat to low and cook the eggs for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and allow the eggs to remain in the water covered for 15 minutes. At the end of that time pour out the hot water and run cold water over the eggs for 3-5 minutes.

Once your eggs have been hard-cooked and peeled, remove the egg yolks from the white.

 

Press them through a fine sieve and set aside for later use.

 

 

In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream the softened butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the hard-boiled and strained yolks and mix to combine.

Begin adding the flour and raw egg yolks alternately, starting and finishing with the flour. Add the brandy and continue to mix, the dough should not be thoroughly mixed together yet and veins of flour should still be visible.

Dump the dough out onto your counter and using your hands knead the dough until it has come together into a cohesive ball and there is no more flour visible.

Wrap in cellophane and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled 1-2 hours and as long as 48 hours. The longer you chill the dough the better. Flavors meld together, sugar dissolves thoroughly. Aging cookie dough is a good thing.

When ready to bake preheat your oven to 350℉ and roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface.

If the dough is slightly too sticky to handle try rolling it out between two large pieces of waxed paper.

Once you’ve achieved your desired thickness, peel back the waxed paper and cut out your shapes and place on a parchment lined pan.

Generally made in the shape of a keystone I decided to disregard tradition in favor of aesthetics and made them into lovely little snowflakes instead.

Bake for ten minutes.

The cookies should still look very pale. Allow them to finish cooking by letting them come to room temperature on the baking pans before transferring to a cooling rack.

When the cookies have thoroughly cooled decorate and enjoy!

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

#BakingHistory #cookies #milkandhoneythebakery #sugarcookies
Share:

Related Posts

granola

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

October 7, 2019
Groom's cake

Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility

September 30, 2019
Groom's cake

The Great White Hope, 5 Steps to the Perfect Drip Cake

September 25, 2019

Leave a Comment

Cancel Reply

Recipe Rating







« Previous post
Bread, The Staff of Life
Next post »
The 5 Things Separating you from Achieving the Perfect Meringue

About Me

Hi, I'm Hannah. Creator of Milk + Honey and long time curious eater. Join me as I explore the surprising history behind some of the world's most iconic dishes, and figure out the best ways to prepare them.

Recent Posts

  • God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal
  • Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility
  • The Great White Hope, 5 Steps to the Perfect Drip Cake
  • Pizzelle, The Cookie from Limbo

Milk + Honey

Milk + Honey

Categories

  • Basics (10)
  • Breads (5)
  • Breakfast (3)
  • Cakes (6)
  • Cocktails (1)
  • Confections (3)
  • Cookies (9)
  • Cupcakes (1)
  • Custards + Puddings (1)
  • Dessert Sauces (1)
  • Frozen Desserts (1)
  • Gluten Free (3)
  • Kitchen Sorcery (2)
  • Libations (1)
  • Pastry (4)
  • Pies + Tarts (6)
  • Sandwiches (1)
  • Sweet Breads (2)
  • Techniques (2)

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 865 other subscribers

Socialize With Me

Popular Posts

Cocoa Powder, Regular or Dutched?

Cocoa Powder, Regular or Dutched?

September 1, 2017
Pancakes, From Hell to Breakfast

Pancakes, From Hell to Breakfast

February 6, 2018
Apple Pie, American by Association

Apple Pie, American by Association

July 12, 2017

Categories

  • Basics
  • Breads
  • Breakfast
  • Cakes
  • Cocktails
  • Confections
  • Cookies
  • Cupcakes
  • Custards + Puddings
  • Dessert Sauces
  • Frozen Desserts
  • Gluten Free
  • Kitchen Sorcery
  • Libations
  • Pastry
  • Pies + Tarts
  • Sandwiches
  • Sweet Breads
  • Techniques
Read all of our wedding reviews on our Milk + Honey Bakery Storefront at Wwlogo 83x19

Recent Posts

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

God, Granola, and the Spiritual Qualities of Breakfast Cereal

October 7, 2019
Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility

Groom’s Cake, the Last Bastion of Gentility

September 30, 2019

The Great White Hope, 5 Steps to the Perfect Drip Cake

September 25, 2019

Pizzelle, The Cookie from Limbo

September 9, 2019

Brown Betty, Dessert or Racial Epithet?

August 19, 2019

Instagram feed

milkandhoneythebakery

"By their desserts will I judge them."
•Saveur Food Blog Award Finalist 2019: Best Baking and Sweets

Hannah | Milk + Honey Bakery
Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut butter sandwiched between a crunchy coating of toasted almonds and toffee and a sweet chewy base of dates and oats. Now drizzle that in dark chocolate, and you’ve got yourself these decadent raw chocolate, peanut butter almond bars. 

Vegan, refined-sugar free, and gluten-free, eating responsibly has never felt so indulgent. Get the recipe on the blog this week!
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.
-Thomas Jefferson

While not necessarily for the health reasons stated, Jefferson’s prediction has certainly come to materialize, at least in my home.
A debate I had with my husband shortly after makin A debate I had with my husband shortly after making this honey-almond “snack cake”: As we sat around “snacking,” we began to discuss what the real difference was between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes. Banal, yet relevant in the moment. 

This arbitrary mystery resulted in a lot of opinions and by the end of it, several unanswered questions. 

So I put it to you, Instagram Family, what is the real difference between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes? Are the terms so similar as to be inconsequential, or do their comparabilities hide deeper differences? 

The perimeters (at least in my mind) are these: Leftover birthday cake that becomes the next morning’s breakfast would definitely be a snack cake. Meaning a snack cake, while sounding laid-back, could be a slice of sophisticated dacquiouse or some other luxurious dessert.
Whereas a snacking cake would be something more along the lines of a sheet cake (like the classic chocolate Texas variety). More than a brownie but less than a layer cake. Something you could take a fork to but would probably just pick up with your hands. 

In short, any cake can be a snack. But not every cake is a snacking cake.

Thoughts?
When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocol When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocolate or carrot,’ which do you choose?
Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ? Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ?
Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan a Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan and pine nuts, and packing a garlicky punch, our braided pesto bread is the ideal way to use up your garden’s bounty. 

Also it looks impressive. Pull-out all the stops and impress your family and guests with this ultra-easy and rewarding loaf.
Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Mesoamericans are remembered as the original chocolate lovers. Considered a sacred beverage among them, cocoa was used during celebrations and religious ceremonies and was thought to lend the drinker strength.

It is said that Montezuma kept a massive storehouse of cocoa beans, and drank 50 golden cups of the stuff a day, decreeing that only those men brave enough to face battle would be permitted to join him in drinking it. Chocolate eventually becoming a regular part of military rations among the Aztecs. 

The belief that chocolate was a powerful elixir that lent its drinker extra virility and strength seems to have made its way into European and US thinking as well and may explain the application of including chocolate or pressed cakes of cocoa powder in US military rations, an operation practiced all the way up to the Vietnam war. 

With piles of historical evidence it would stand to reason that chocolate must be good for me, so I’m going to start making a regular habit of indulging in it. Each bite imbuing me with strength, vim, and vigor. Don’t stay a weakling all your life, join me in making these chocolate pot de creme today and start eating more chocolate.
A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge during Prohibition, and one of our favorite forms of solace during the Great Depression. One might argue that without the aid of ice cream we might not be here today.
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our do "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." — Jane Austen
Load More... Follow on Instagram

 

Everly Post slider

  • Brown Betty, Dessert or Racial Epithet?

  • Sweet French Pastry Dough (Pâte Sucrée)

  • tart

    The Tart, a High Form of Pastry

  • A legion of Lemon Meringue Tarts

    Lemon Meringue Pie

  • american apple pie

    Apple Pie, American by Association

  • Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

    Buttery Flaky Pie Dough

Follow

milkandhoneythebakery

"By their desserts will I judge them."
•Saveur Food Blog Award Finalist 2019: Best Baking and Sweets

Hannah | Milk + Honey Bakery
Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut Imagine it: A thick, creamy, salty layer of peanut butter sandwiched between a crunchy coating of toasted almonds and toffee and a sweet chewy base of dates and oats. Now drizzle that in dark chocolate, and you’ve got yourself these decadent raw chocolate, peanut butter almond bars. 

Vegan, refined-sugar free, and gluten-free, eating responsibly has never felt so indulgent. Get the recipe on the blog this week!
The superiority of chocolate, both for health and The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.
-Thomas Jefferson

While not necessarily for the health reasons stated, Jefferson’s prediction has certainly come to materialize, at least in my home.
A debate I had with my husband shortly after makin A debate I had with my husband shortly after making this honey-almond “snack cake”: As we sat around “snacking,” we began to discuss what the real difference was between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes. Banal, yet relevant in the moment. 

This arbitrary mystery resulted in a lot of opinions and by the end of it, several unanswered questions. 

So I put it to you, Instagram Family, what is the real difference between Snack cakes and Snacking cakes? Are the terms so similar as to be inconsequential, or do their comparabilities hide deeper differences? 

The perimeters (at least in my mind) are these: Leftover birthday cake that becomes the next morning’s breakfast would definitely be a snack cake. Meaning a snack cake, while sounding laid-back, could be a slice of sophisticated dacquiouse or some other luxurious dessert.
Whereas a snacking cake would be something more along the lines of a sheet cake (like the classic chocolate Texas variety). More than a brownie but less than a layer cake. Something you could take a fork to but would probably just pick up with your hands. 

In short, any cake can be a snack. But not every cake is a snacking cake.

Thoughts?
When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocol When confronted by the age old question: ‘chocolate or carrot,’ which do you choose?
Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ? Is it too soon for #pumpkinspice ?
Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan a Fragranced by delicate basil, rich with parmesan and pine nuts, and packing a garlicky punch, our braided pesto bread is the ideal way to use up your garden’s bounty. 

Also it looks impressive. Pull-out all the stops and impress your family and guests with this ultra-easy and rewarding loaf.
Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Consumed by Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs the ancient Mesoamericans are remembered as the original chocolate lovers. Considered a sacred beverage among them, cocoa was used during celebrations and religious ceremonies and was thought to lend the drinker strength.

It is said that Montezuma kept a massive storehouse of cocoa beans, and drank 50 golden cups of the stuff a day, decreeing that only those men brave enough to face battle would be permitted to join him in drinking it. Chocolate eventually becoming a regular part of military rations among the Aztecs. 

The belief that chocolate was a powerful elixir that lent its drinker extra virility and strength seems to have made its way into European and US thinking as well and may explain the application of including chocolate or pressed cakes of cocoa powder in US military rations, an operation practiced all the way up to the Vietnam war. 

With piles of historical evidence it would stand to reason that chocolate must be good for me, so I’m going to start making a regular habit of indulging in it. Each bite imbuing me with strength, vim, and vigor. Don’t stay a weakling all your life, join me in making these chocolate pot de creme today and start eating more chocolate.
A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge A creamy savior, ice cream was America’s refuge during Prohibition, and one of our favorite forms of solace during the Great Depression. One might argue that without the aid of ice cream we might not be here today.
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our do "Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." — Jane Austen
Load More... Follow on Instagram
© 2017 copyright PREMIUMCODING // All rights reserved
Designed by Premiumcoding
 

Loading Comments...
 

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.