I am culinary-trained, but baking has always been a passion of mine. I come from a long-line of top-notch bakers, so I always say that it’s in my genes. That also means I have some pretty good cookie recipes in my arsenal.
None of them have a date attached to them, but maybe that’s part of the allure of the 150-Year Old Cookie recipe posted on Reddit awhile back. The skeptic in me had a hard time believing that a cookie with only three ingredients was worth eating. I put on my apron to see what all the fuss was about and here’s what I learned.
How Do You Make 150-Year-Old Cookies?
The creator responsible for sharing the recipe on Reddit, Nolyn’s Kitchen, claimed that the cookie was an old family favorite. I can see why. The ingredients are few and the method is simple. Combine softened butter with brown sugar and self-rising flour. Mix everything with your hands, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 25 equal-sized balls and bake until golden.
How It Went When I Made Them
After a quick review of the recipe, I gathered my ingredients (all of which I conveniently had in my fridge and pantry) and got to work. Once my butter was softened, I added it to a bowl along with brown sugar and self-rising flour.
I used my hands, as instructed, to mix everything together which was fun and satisfying. If you have kids, let them do this part (but make sure they wash their hands first—you should too), they’ll love squishing everything and watching the dough ball come together.
After a quick trip in the fridge to firm up a bit, I divided the dough into 25 equal-sized pieces, which came out to be about 15 grams each. That’s a pretty small cookie, but maybe that’s just by American standards.
Since there was no instruction regarding spacing on the baking sheet, I assumed more on a pan was better than fewer (this was not a good judgment call). I baked them at 310 F for about 18 minutes and when I went to retrieve my cookies, they had become a cohesive cookie sheet. They smelled great, but were flat as a pancake and stuck together and required a bit of bending and breaking in order to separate.
Make Your Own Self-Rising Flour With One Easy Trick
How Did They Taste?
Even though they looked awful, they tasted great. I’m a sucker for butter and these deliver big butter flavor! I enjoyed the crispy edges that reminded me of butterscotch and the chewy inside which complimented that crunch. The cookies felt surprisingly light and airy, but somehow satisfying. One of those small cookies was delicious and also plenty.
The Secret To Success
Simplicity is always a winner, especially when it comes to cooking and baking. The use of only three ingredients makes preparing these cookies approachable—a kind of “every day” cookie. It’s also the combination of those ingredients that make these cookies impressive. The butter, brown sugar and self-rising flour all work together to provide the flavor, texture, and structure these cookies need. Let’s not forget the ease of making them either! All you need is a bowl, your hands, a baking sheet, and an oven and you’re good to go!
Other Cookies We Love
Butterscotch Cookies
Peppermint Swirl Brownies
Orange Cookies With Glaze Recipe
Tips for Making 150 Year Old Cookies
Use unsalted butter—Self-rising flour is made with all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. You can expect between 300 to 350 grams of sodium per quarter cup of self-rising flour. That’s more than enough to flavor these cookies. Because of that, I recommend using unsalted butter for best results.
Sift your flour—Self-rising flour has a tendency to clump. To ensure your ingredients are evenly dispersed, consider sifting your flour before adding it to your dough. A simple fine-mesh strainer will help you get the job done.
Provide ample space for baking—Don’t make my mistake: give your cookies plenty of room on that cookie sheet for baking. At least 2 inches between them should allow enough space for spreading!
Decorate after baking—The recipe says to press the cookies with the back of a fork to make a simple decoration before baking. I found that to be quite frustrating since the cookies were so small and the dough was sticky which led to my fork getting stuck. A better method, I found, was to press the cookies after baking, right after removing them from the oven. I followed that with a little dusting of sparkling sugar, just for fun.
25 Days of Christmas Cookies
FAQs
Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.
What's the most popular cookie in the world? ›
Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.
What are three interesting facts about cookies? ›
3) Americans consume over 2 billion cookies a year, or 300 cookies for each person annually. 4) The Chocolate Chip is the most popular type of home-baked cookie. 5) Chocolate Chip cookies are Cookie Monster's favorite. His birthday is November 2nd and his original name was Sid on Sesame Street.
What is the history of chocolate chip cookies for kids? ›
The original recipe was created in the late 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who famously ran the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts. The delicious mix of crispy cookie and melted chocolate chunks first appeared in her 1938 cookbook “Tried and True,” and was intended to accompany ice cream.
What cookie is 111 years old? ›
Oreos are familiar, accessible, and darn good with or without a tall glass of chilled oat milk. Curious about the vegan nature of this 111-year-old cookie, we dove into the history (and the ingredients) of the iconic Oreo.
What cookie was not invented until 1938? ›
It wasn't until very recently, around 1938, that chocolate chip cookies were first invented. Unlike a lot of other things, the chocolate chip cookie was not invented by accident. During the 1930s, a chef named Ruth Graves Wakefield decided to give something different to her customers.
What is the #1 cookie in the United States? ›
The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.
What is the #1 cookie in the US? ›
A new survey by Crumbl cookies finds chocolate chip cookies are America's favorite. Here are the cookie facts: 62% of Americans say there's nothing better than that classic chocolate chip.
Was Oreo or Hydrox first? ›
Hydrox aren't a knockoff — they're the original sandwich cookie. Hydrox debuted in 1908, a full four years before Oreo came out, and they were revolutionary at the time.
What was the first cookie called? ›
"Early English and Dutch immigrants first introduced the cookie to America in the 1600s. While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...
What Can Cookies Reveal About You? Cookies can reveal a lot about you, including your web browsing history, the information you've entered into forms, your web search history, and even your location. Cookies are not designed to "identify" you, as in your name or your "real-world" identity.
Are cookies junk food? ›
Easily identifiable examples of junk food include chips, doughnuts, candy, and cookies. But some products — such as sports drinks or breakfast bars — also meet the classification, as they're high in sugar and calories yet low in nutrients.
What country invented cookies? ›
The Origin of the Cookie
They date back as early as 7th Century A.D. Persia which is now Iran. They were one of the first countries to grow and harvest sugar cane. With war and exploration eventually sugar was introduced to the Mediterranean area and European countries and so were cookies.
Are chocolate chip cookies older than Oreos? ›
In 1938, the chocolate chip cookie was reportedly invented by Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House restaurant with her husband in Massachusetts. Chocolate chip cookies, however, as much of a classic as they have become today, were actually pre-dated by Oreos by 26 years.
Who invented cookies? ›
Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.
When was the first cookie made? ›
Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.
How old can a cookie be? ›
Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months.
How old is the Oreo cookie? ›
The first Oreo was sold on March 6, 1912, to a grocer in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Oreo Biscuit was renamed in 1921 to "Oreo Sandwich"; in 1948, the name was changed to "Oreo Crème Sandwich"; and in 1974 it became the "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie", the name that has remained to this day.
