December 4th is National Cookie Day.
The earliest ancestor to the contemporary cookie was invented in Persia in roughly the seventh century. Here, sugar had just become common in the region and so bakers made tiny cakes to test their ovens. This recipe spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, most baking cookbooks contained recipes for cookies.
In 1987 Matt Nader of the San Francisco-based Blue Chip Cookie Company created National Cookie Day, saying: “It’s just like having National Secretaries Day… It will just be a fun thing to do.” This fun and sweet holiday has also been championed by The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, obviously a supporter of all things that are cookie-related.
So celebrate National Cookie Day! Some of the best ways to do so include: eating cookies, baking cookies, and reading books about cookies. We've included some great titles to help you below.
- Cookie Cookbooks
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The Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
The ultimate cookie cookbook, from best-selling author of The Baking Bible Rose Levy Beranbaum. This is your must-have cookie book, featuring nearly every cookie imaginable, from rustic Cranberry Chocolate Chippers to elegant French macarons, and everything in between-simple drop cookies, rolled-and-cut holiday cookies, brownies and other bars, pretty sandwich cookies, luxurious frosted or chocolate-dipped treats, and much more. With legendary baker Rose Levy Beranbaum's foolproof recipes-which feature detail-oriented instructions that eliminate guesswork, notes for planning ahead, ingenious tips, and other golden rules for success-it's easy to whip up a batch of irresistible, crowd-pleasing cookies anytime, for any occasion.
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Cookie Swap by Julia Usher
As a specialized form of potluck, a cookie swap has all the same traits that make a potluck so effortless to host. Guests share in the baking and cost burden by bringing their favorite recipes. Cookie Swap takes the popular idea of the cookie exchange party to new heights and new directions.
This elegant entertaining book shows that the cookie swap is perfectly suited not only to holiday gatherings but also to garden parties, showers, children's birthdays, summer get-togethers, and more. Themes and events include: Affairs of the Heart (Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays), Spring Fling, Vision in White (Weddings), Garden Parties, and even a theme for going back to school!
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Cookie Gifts: Lavish Treats To Make at Home by Molly Perham
Cookie Gifts brings together a collection of cookie recipes with gift ideas for every occasion and taste. There are traditional cookie recipes, specialties for chocolate lovers, sophisticated bakes for connoisseurs and cookies for children.
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The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis
A food blogger shares her signature egg-free, quick-prepare cookie dough while providing dozens of recipes for its use in cookies, cakes, and numerous confections and snacks.
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Cookie Craft Christmas: Dozens of Decorating Ideas for a Sweet Holiday by Valerie Peterson
Take your holiday cookie decorating to impressive new heights! Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer will have you sprinkling powdered snowflakes onto cheery snowmen and adding a sugary glimmer to multicolored strands of licorice lights. With more than 60 fabulous designs for Christmas cookies, plus festive delights for New Year’s and Hanukkah, Cookie Craft Christmas gives you the inspiration and simple instructions you need for batch after batch of deliciously show-stopping holiday cheer.
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Cookie Craft: From Baking to Luster Dust, Designs and Techniques for Creative Cookie Occasions by Valerie Peterson
Beautifully decorated cookies are within reach for every home baker, thanks to the easy and practical methods developed by cookie-crafting enthusiasts Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer. From rolling and cutting to flooding and piping, you'll find dozens of techniques to turn plain cookies into fun treats for your next special occasion. With instructions for making stand-up cookies, tips on creating icing color palettes, and advice on freezing and shipping, the cookie fun never stops!
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Cookie Swap Cookbook by Gooseberry Patch
Everything you need to know to host a cookie exchange! You'll find easy-to-follow how-to's with a handy checklist to make swapping a cinch, clever invitations and a recipe card to copy and color, tried & true recipes plus nifty ideas for packaging and presenting cookies. Try nutty butterscotch squares, chocolate-vanilla swirl cookies, magical crème wafers, chocolate peanut butter secrets and more, including recipes for fudge, caramels and hard tack candy too!
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Cookies: The Top 100 Most Delicious Cookie Recipes by Ace McCloud
Are you tired of buying expensive cookies filled with additives and preservatives? Would you love delicious home cooked cookies straight out of the oven? Whether you want to (1) discover the top 100 most delicious cookie recipes, (2) be the hero who brings the joy of fresh baked cookies into the world, or (3) have delicious home baked cookies anytime you want, then this is the book for you! Tired of baking the same old cookies? In this cookie recipe book you will find plenty of opportunities to experience the breadth of variety available with cookies. The cookie is easily dressed up or down. I've included recipes appropriate for any level of formality, from the most delicate lace to the sturdiest travel fare. If it's a special occasion, make the cookies special, the results will be sure to add fresh glamour to the event.
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Cookie Delights Recipe Book Cookie Recipes Traditional Gluten-Free Vegan by J. Dierssen
Discover the art of cookie perfection with our enchanting Cookie Recipe Book! Elevate your baking game and embark on a journey through a world of irresistible flavors and textures. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a kitchen novice, this cookbook is your key to creating moments of pure delight. Indulge in a symphony of cookie sensations, from classic chocolate chip to exotic matcha-infused treats. Each recipe is crafted to perfection, ensuring that your cookies are not just baked, but crafted with love and precision. The step-by-step instructions guarantee success, making this book perfect for both solo bakers and delightful family kitchen adventures. Unleash your creativity with our diverse range of cookie recipes, suitable for every occasion. From festive holiday gatherings to cozy nights by the fire, these cookies are designed to sweeten life's most cherished moments. Make every day a celebration of flavor, texture, and joy.
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The Cookie Party Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Cookie Exchange by Robin L. Olson
The country's biggest promoter of the cookie swapping party writes the ultimate cookie recipe book, with ideas, tips and organizing plans for anyone to throw the best baking event ever. Robin Olson popularized the cookie swap: a party where a group of people get together, bringing a large quantity of a favorite recipe or two of their own and trade with other guests so that each attendee leaves with enough variety boxes of cookies and bars to give out as gifts, care packages, camp mailings, etc. Included in COOKIE PARTY: --176 recipes for classic and fun cookies, bars, no-bakes and simple candies; --Tips for entertaining a room full of bakers with savories, drinks and sweets; --Smart cookie shipping ideas --and more.
- Books About Cookies
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The Cookie Boogie by Melissa Lagonegro
When Treasure helps Berry make cookies for Pumpkin's dance show by shaking magic sprinkles over them, the cookies spring to life and threaten to disrupt the show.
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The Cookie Stall by Jonathan Litton
Max and Suzy have baked some delicious cookies to sell but no one is coming to their stall to buy any! Can the dynamic duo use their creativity to make their cookies more attractive and encourage people to visit their stall? Help them be creative with a range of materials, use your imagination and experiment with different techniques and colours in this fun, interactive art story. STEAM Stories is a series of interactive picture books, each introducing a different STEAM topic: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. Join dynamic duo Max and Suzy in these action-packed problem-solving adventures which introduce children to key STEAM concepts through a gripping, interactive story.
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Cookie Monsters by Erika J. Kendrick
As twelve-year-old Brooklyn goes head-to-head against her rival to win her school's cookie-selling competition, her friends help her cope with the death of her mother and help her try to clinch the Cookie Queen title.
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The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua
The Great British Bake Off meets Knives Out in this fun and propulsive middle grade novel following two best friends who must solve the mystery behind a baking competition gone awry.
Laila gave Lucy a cupcake on the second day of kindergarten, and they've been inseparable ever since. But the summer before eighth grade, they find out that since they live on opposite sides of town, they'll go to different high schools. Yuck!
Then Laila's invited to compete at the Golden Cookie competition, which awards its winner admission and a full ride to the prestigious Sunderland boarding school, and it's the perfect opportunity. Sunderland doesn't just have an elite culinary program; it's also home to an elite journalism track, if only newscaster-hopeful Lucy could build up a strong enough portfolio to impress the scholarship committee.
But when one of the celebrity judges collapses after sampling Laila's showpiece, rumors of foul play swirl, with Laila rising to the top of the suspect list. Even worse, a major storm has effectively cut off all access to the outside world.
Can the girls find the real culprit and clear Laila's name before it's too late?
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Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell
No one is more shocked than Olivia when prominent business owner Clarisse Chamberlain is found dead. It was Clarisse who encouraged Olivia to open The Gingerbread House--and she was one of her best customers. The sheriff is ready to call the case an accident, but Olivia's convinced there's a murder to solve. Then word spreads that Clarisse left Olivia a large sum of money, along with a collection of valuable antique cookie cutters. Suddenly, Olivia is the prime suspect, and when the local postman falls ill after sampling one of their cookies, all eyes are on The Gingerbread House. If the cookie-loving duo doesn't find the real killer, their reputation--and quite possibly their lives--will be battered for good...
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The Cookie Dough Catastrophe by Angela K. Ryan
Prepare for a scoop of intrigue at the annual town picnic! Anna and her staff run an ice cream stand at the town picnic. However, things take a chilling turn when the body of the new director of a local children's camp is found lifeless beneath the carousel. To further complicate things, the victim only recently moved to Seagull Cove, leaving little time to make enemies. Meanwhile, Anna, Jeremy, and Joe travel to Rhode Island to untangle a web of mysteries that might just help solve Rebecca Crenshaw's murder and bring Bella home. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries set in coastal New England, endearing characters, gripping plots, and of course, ice cream parlors, you'll love the Seaside Ice Cream Shop Mysteries. Grab your copy of The Cookie Dough Catastrophe and join the picnic today!