Cookies are sweet and full of all sorts of delicious goodness, from nuts to fruit to chocolate. They can be either delightfully crumbly or sinfully chewy. Not to mention that they keep forever if they are stored properly… There’s no doubt about: cookies more than deserve their own day, and that’s why Cookie Day is celebrated around the world in order to pay tribute to these delicious little treats. So grab some flour, butter and sugar, and let’s get celebrating, shall we?
The History of Cookie Day
In 1987 Matt Nader of the San Francisco-based Blue Chip Cookie Company created 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 was also championed by The Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.
Although the day did not originate with him, some details about it can be found in Random House’s “The Sesame Street Dictionary”, which was published in the 1980s as well. Since then, the word got around the globe that there was much tasty fun to be had on December 4th, and people from various countries the world over began to celebrate Cookie Day.
In fact, a number of variations on Cookie Day are also celebrated around the world such as Oatmeal Cookie Day and Bake Cookie Day. This is likely due to one of the greatest things about cookies: they come in hundreds of shapes and sizes and are relatively simple to make.
How to Celebrate Cookie Day
On Cookie Day people can get together to bake cookies together, which can turn out to be a surprisingly good time. Parents can have fun baking the first batch of cookies their children will ever bake with them, which is also guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience.
What could be more fun than making some cute, sweet treats together with your children? For those unfamiliar with the art of cookie baking but would like to try, here is a simple recipe you can start your cookie adventure with!
Simple Peanut Butter Cookies (makes 20 cookies)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of teaspoon kosher salt
Heat your oven to 350° F. Beat the peanut butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Then, reduce the speed to low and add in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt, beating constantly. To form cookies, roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, as the dough will spread out during baking. Using a lightly floured fork, press the dough to a a half-inch thickness, making a cute crisscross pattern on top of each cookie. Bake, remembering to rotate the baking sheet halfway through the baking process, until the edges are set and golden-brown, so for about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet before trying to remove them so they don’t crumble, then transfer the cookies wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days…but let’s be honest, they’ll never last that long!