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
You may love a hot, crispy waffle but have you heard of the world's oldest cookie; the pizzelle? Dating back hundreds of years in Italian culture, no Italian catholic celebration or wedding is complete without the famous pizzelle!
Who made the first cookie? ›
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.
What is a fortune cookie made of? ›
A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers.
Where did the term cookie come from? ›
The word was introduced into the USA in the late eighteenth century by Dutch immigrants, and comes from Dutch koekje, a diminutive form of koek, 'cake'. Dutch influence is no doubt responsible also for the parallel use of the word in South African English.
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 cookie was invented in 1912? ›
On this day in 1912, Oreo cookies were first developed and produced by Nabisco in New York City. It's time to celebrate the iconic crunchy chocolate sandwich cookie with the sweet vanilla cream filling that Americans have enjoyed for over one hundred years. March 6th is National Oreo Cookie Day!
Who invented Oreos? ›
Samuel J. Porcello (May 23, 1935 – May 12, 2012) was an American food scientist who worked at Nabisco for 34 years. He is particularly noted for his work on the modern Oreo cookie. Porcello held five patents directly related to the Oreo.
Can vegan eat cookies? ›
Like other baked goods, cookies are traditionally made using animal-based ingredients. Butter and eggs are the most common animal products found in cookies. In addition to butter, dairy can also make its way into store-bought cookies in the form of whey.
What type of cookie originated in medieval Scotland? ›
Shortbread has been attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, who in the mid-16th century was said to be very fond of Petticoat Tails, a thin, crisp, buttery shortbread originally flavoured with caraway seeds. There are two theories regarding the name of these biscuits.
Informal. dear; sweetheart (a term of address, usually connoting affection). Slang. a person: a smart cookie; a tough cookie. an alluring young woman.
What is the old name for cookies? ›
In the Southern colonies, every housewife knew how to bake tea cakes that had no extra flavoring except butter and sometimes a couple drops of rose water. The first American cookies that showed up in cook books had creative names like Jumbles, Plunkets and Cry Babies which gave no clue to what was inside the cookie.
What is a cookie slang? ›
informal. dear; sweetheart (a term of address, usually connoting affection)
When was the first cookie made? ›
Cookies are believed to date back to 7th century Persia (one of the first countries to cultivate sugar) and spread throughout Europe as a result of the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, cookies were common throughout all of Europe.
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)...
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? ›
Introduced: 1912
First introduced in the U.S. in 1912, Oreo has become the world's top selling cookie and is enjoyed in more than 100 countries. In markets around the world, Oreo comes in surprising local flavors, like blueberry and green tea ice cream, and fun shapes and forms.
