M&M Cookies®

Lavish cakes were known in the Persian Empire. The earliest cookie style cakes are thought to date back to Persia (modern Iran) in the 7th century C.E., toward the end of its glory.

While Europeans had honey, due to the ancient migration of bees, sugar came much later. It originated in the lowlands of Bengal or elsewhere in Southeast Asia was brought to Persia and cultivated there, spreading to the eastern Mediterranean. Bakers made luxurious cakes and pastries for the rich. With the Muslim invasion of Iberia in the 8th century, followed by the Crusades (1095 to 1291) and the developing spice trade, the cooking techniques and ingredients of Arabia spread to Northern Europe. Cookbooks of the Renaissance, which began in Italy in the 14th century and spread to the rest of Europe, are filled with cookie recipes. The end of the 14th century, one could buy little filled wafers on the streets of Paris.

During the centuries before, cakes were being baked to the delight all, has evolved into our cookie was not originally made to please the sweet tooth. Culinary historians, the first historic record of cookies were used as test cakes. A small amount of cake batter was dropped onto sheet pans to test the temperature of the oven before the cake was baked (back in the day, ovens didn’t have thermostats like we have today, and were fueled by burning wood).

Each language has its own word for cookie. In The Netherlands, the little test cake was called a koekje, “little cake” in Dutch a cake is koek. The concept evolved to small, portions, which were baked to create the dry, hard textured cookies we know today. With the moisture removed, they stayed fresh much longer than cake. The British word for cookie, biscuit, comes from the Latin bis coctum, meaning “twice baked” (also the origin of the Italian biscotti). 

Research Source: The Nibble

Even if you want to bake cookies from scratch, sometimes there isn’t time. Thank you cake mix, these homemade cookies are so easy. Go ahead and grab cake mix, you will be rewarded.

M&M Cookies®

Copyrighted 2013, Christine's Pantry. All rights reserved.  

Ingredients: 
1 (18.5 oz.) box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate candies

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, add cake mix, peanut butter, vanilla extract, eggs and vegetable oil, mix well. Fold in chocolate candies.

Drop by teaspoon on sheet pan, 2 inches apart.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until firm and golden around the edges.

Cool for 5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Serve or store in airtight container. Enjoy!