I thought I would reflect on the Delicious Holiday treats that appear on trays in our homes and offices. We allow our self such indulgences during the Holidays even if they give us pause to reflect on our New Years resolutions. Christmas cookies are every bit a part of the Holidays as the mysteries of Santa Claus!

 Christmas cookies date back to Medieval European biscuits. Spurred on by the spice trade and the availability of exotic spices from the East. The importation of exotic spices was certainly influenced by the Crusades and Crusaders that brought them back from the East.These biscuits had become popular all over Europe by the 16th Century.

Pepparkakor- a thin gingersnap like cookie was popular in Sweden

Gingerbread-of course a Christmas staple is made in a number of variations and names through out Europe.

Krumkake-are a wafer thin cookie that is rolled into a cone and popular in Norway.

Spritz Cookies- Originate from German Spritzgebaeck, but became popular all over Europe by the 1500′s. They come in many shapes and styles and our easy to decorate.

Our modern sugar cookie dates back to the Mid 1700′s. Often as the Amish sugar cookie or Nazareth sugar cookie. It was created by Moravians who came and settled the Nazareth area of Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century.

The popularity of sugar cookies really increased between 1871 and 1906 due to the availability of cheap imported cookie cutter. Cookie cutters and a wide range of different decorations and icings certainly make sugar cookies the Holiday favorite.

Modern Christmas cookies certainly include a number of traditional, regional, or ethnic recipes. Often they showcase a persons favorite recipes for sweet treats.

I often make Melted Moments, Russian Tea Cookies, Kolachy (Czech pastry), Spritz cookies and Buckeye’s (technically candy)

Buckyes have certainly become a Christmas favorite, at least in this region of the US. Technically a candy they can be found on most cookie trays. While the combination of peanut butter and chocolate has been around awhile. It’s presentation as a Buckeye is certainly indigenous to Ohio. The Buckeye’s date of origin remains unclear. The term “Buckeye” can be dated in print by the Dictionary of American English to 1970. Certainly it has been around for some time before that.