C is for Cookie

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Eggs

Ok so this doesn't have anything to do with cookies besides the fact that eggs are commonly used in making them. The question has been asked so many times, which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer to that is the egg. Many people will disagree, especially if they don't agree with evolution. Anyways here is an article from CNN.com stating the truth.

Chicken and egg debate unscrambled
Egg came first, 'eggsperts' agree

LONDON, England -- It's a question that has baffled scientists, academics and pub bores through the ages: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Now a team made up of a geneticist, philosopher and chicken farmer claim to have found an answer. It was the egg.

Put simply, the reason is down to the fact that genetic material does not change during an animal's life.

Therefore the first bird that evolved into what we would call a chicken, probably in prehistoric times, must have first existed as an embryo inside an egg.

Professor John Brookfield, a specialist in evolutionary genetics at the University of Nottingham, told the UK Press Association the pecking order was clear.

The living organism inside the eggshell would have had the same DNA as the chicken it would develop into, he said.

"Therefore, the first living thing which we could say unequivocally was a member of the species would be this first egg," he added. "So, I would conclude that the egg came first."

The same conclusion was reached by his fellow "eggsperts" Professor David Papineau, of King's College London, and poultry farmer Charles Bourns.

Mr Papineau, an expert in the philosophy of science, agreed that the first chicken came from an egg and that proves there were chicken eggs before chickens.

He told PA people were mistaken if they argued that the mutant egg belonged to the "non-chicken" bird parents.

"I would argue it is a chicken egg if it has a chicken in it," he said.

"If a kangaroo laid an egg from which an ostrich hatched, that would surely be an ostrich egg, not a kangaroo egg."

Bourns, chairman of trade body Great British Chicken, said he was also firmly in the pro-egg camp.

He said: "Eggs were around long before the first chicken arrived. Of course, they may not have been chicken eggs as we see them today, but they were eggs."

The debate, which may come as a relief to those with argumentative relatives, was organized by Disney to promote the release of the film "Chicken Little" on DVD.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Holiday Cookies From Around the World

I found this website that describes a few cookies from around the world. They suggest them as an alternative to the same old boring cookies made every year. If they sound delicious to you, you can google the recipes.


WHITE CHRISTMAS – Australia


These festive little cookie bars are reminiscent of Rice Krispies’ treats that have been lavishly dressed for the holidays. In addition to the crispy rice cereal, ingredients include coconut, powdered sugar, mixed candied fruit, red and green candied cherries, raisins and white chocolate chips, as well as powdered milk and white vegetable shortening. The result is a sweet delectable that offers multiple textures in a brightly colored yuletide outfit. This is a no-bake cookie, but you’ll need to have a double-boiler handy.

ALSATIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES – France

Giving these decorated morsels their flavor is the blending of ground almonds, cinnamon, vanilla extract and orange peel. This is a refrigerated dough cookie, rolled out and cut in the shape of various holiday symbols, baked and decorated with pre-made decorator’s icing (in a tube) and colored sugar or any other of a variety of holiday embellishments. The preparation takes a bit of time, but they have a delightful taste and freeze quite well – for up to three months.

MINT KISS SPRITZ – Germany

Light and rich with butter, these delightful cookies combine the classic tastes of chocolate and mint, in the colorful green of the season. Among the ingredients are sugar, butter, vanilla, mint extract and – to crown the tops of the finished product – Hershey’s kisses. Green food coloring is added to the dough, which is then placed in a cookie press to express a variety of holiday shapes. As soon as they’re removed from the oven, a delicious chocolate kiss is placed on top of each. These are inexpensive, easy to make cookies that won’t last for long, so consider making an extra batch.

MELOMAKARONA – Greece

These traditional Greek Christmas cookies are bursting with flavor, as a result of a large variety of ingredients which include orange juice, whiskey, cloves, cinnamon and orange zest. In the true spirit of Greek cuisine, the syrupy topping contains honey and ground walnuts, making this a delightfully sweet, moist taste sensation. Considering the vast amount of ingredients, there’s a lot of prep time and much work, from beginning to end. The result, however, is more than worth the effort and will leave your holiday guests asking for the recipe.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BISCOTTI – Italy

This is a classic biscotti recipe, made more enjoyable through the addition of cocoa powder, chocolate chips and dried cherries, to complement the traditional almond ingredient. The preparation time for this includes the use of a double-boiler or microwave, as well as the oven, and can be rather time-consuming due to the number of steps that must be taken to complete the process. For those who don’t care for cherries, cranberries can be substituted without compromising the integrity of the cookies.

KOLACZKI – Poland

These rich, fruity cookies allow the baker to use his or her own creativity when selecting the fillings. A variety of jams and nuts can be used – make them all the same or use a selection of fruit jams and ground nuts as delicious fillings that will delight the palate. Ingredients for the dough include cream cheese, flour, butter and eggs, while the filling can be made with raspberry, strawberry or apricot jams. There’s a scrumptious nut filling that can be utilized, as well, if you prefer not to include fruit in the recipe. English speaking individuals might know these cookies as Kolaches.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES – Russia

Russian Tea Cakes (similar to Mexican Wedding Cakes) are delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that resemble bite-size snowballs. Coated with confectioner’s sugar, these exquisite little cookies contain butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, flour and walnuts. After baking, roll in confectioner’s sugar until thoroughly coated – some even roll them again, after the first coat has moistened. These are quick, easy to make and quite inexpensive. Many of the ingredients can be found as common staples in most households, making them among the most economical treats to bake during the holidays.

PASTEL DE NAVIDAD – Spain

As an unusual combination of tart and raisin pillow, these luscious cookies are made with pastry dough – which is pressed into muffin cups and filled with a mixture containing a blend of sugar, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla extract, chopped walnuts and raisins. This is an easy and inexpensive recipe that will make your mouth water – especially when served warm. The prep time is abbreviated, and the baking time only takes between 20 and 25 minutes. These would be great to make when expecting last-minute guests or as a late dessert for visitors.

BASLER BRUNSLI – Switzerland


Almonds, sugar, bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon, ground cloves and egg whites come together to form these delicious cookies, which are coated with confectioner’s sugar and – surprisingly – cut in the shape of hearts. For your own purposes, you can adapt a more common Christmas theme and use holiday shaped cookie cutters, but the heart-shaped cookie is the tradition in Switzerland during the yuletide. The prep time isn’t overly long, but has to be done in parts, since the dough needs to be chilled after it’s made, which extends the total work time.

GEORGIA LIZZIES – United States

Resembling a miniature fruitcake more than a cookie, these holiday treats are filled with an abundance of ingredients that are blended together for a celebration of taste. Among them are candied cherries (red and green), candied pineapple, dates, golden raisins, pecans, brown sugar and peach brandy. If you prefer, the batter can be baked in muffin cups, in order to present them as Christmas muffins or mini-fruitcakes. The prep time isn’t terribly long, but a good amount of work goes into the making of them, and they’re baked at a lower temperature than most cookies (275 degrees, as opposed to the more commonly used 350 degree recipes). While this is, perhaps, not a classic Christmas cookie, it’s quite delicious, nonetheless.

website: http://www.essortment.com/food/christmascookie_sdjl.htm

Holiday Cookies




Are there any holidays besides Christmas that actually have cookies specifically for that occasion? I know Pillsbury makes sugar cookies for every holiday with some design but its not the same as having gingerbread and sugar cookies for Christmas. Its a Christmas tradition in my family that we make sugar cookies using cookie cutters and then decorating them. My family doesn't make gingerbread houses but that is also a common tradition for Christmas.



I am not familiar with many holidays that I don't celebrate so there definitely could be cookies for other holidays. I will research other traditional cookies from around the world and from other cultures for a later blog. If you feel like commenting, tell us about traditional cookies from your family holidays.

coooooooookie crisp

Cookie Crisp cereal is a great marketing idea if you want children to beg their parents for this cereal. Many children have probably thrown a tantrum for this cereal. Not many children wouldn't want to eat cookies for breakfast. I haven't eaten that cereal for a long time. I don't think it appeals to most adults. It makes sense to have a cereal like this because cookies and milk belong together.



I remember eating some of the "chocolate chips" from the bottom of the box and thinking that it didnt take anything like chocolate. It was disgusting. The ingredients call them chocolate flavored chips. Overall, I think I liked them but i could never eat Cookie Crisps for breakfast now. I need nutrients to get me through the day.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Brownies


I found out that brownies are considered to be cookies. I wouldn't even think to consider a brownie a cookie but more like cake. Apparently they are referred to as bar cookies.

"A cross between a cake and a cookie, bar cookies are baked in a pan. As a rule, they are then cooled and cut into bars...The unbaked dough is usually stiff and must be spread or patted into the pan. After baking, the bars should have a thin, delicate crust and a moist crumb. Over-mixing produces a hard and crusty top; over-baking restults in a dry and crumbly cookie.
Bake...bars till the cookies appear dull and a slight imprint remails after touching the surface with a fingertip. Test cake-like bars for doneness with a wooden pick."

-- from the Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book

Monday, March 24, 2008

Top 5 Cookie Brands

Times for Kids ranked the top selling cookie brands sold in supermarkets in 2002. Surprisingly, Oreos sold the most. The poll results show that no one so far in our class even likes oreos. Here is the short article about the top cookie brands.

Top 5 Cookie Brands


The average American eats 35,000 cookies in a lifetime. Oreos are the most popular by far! Here are the top-selling brands sold in supermarkets. Girl Scout cookies are not included on this list. But if they were, Thin Mints would rank Number 3.

1. Oreos: $519 million a year

2. Chips Ahoy: $347 million

3. Chips Deluxe: $160 million

4. Newtons: $137 million

5. Fudge Shoppe: $127 million

Source: Information Resources Inc.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Poll

Tell me what your favorite cookie is and then I'll tell you what world's most popular cookies are in a later blog.

What is your favorite cookie?

Chocolate Chip
Oatmeal Raisin
Sugar Cookies
Oreos
Peanut Butter
Other


(View Results)

Create a Poll