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How Many Cookies Does The Average American Consume?

Who can ever resist a batch of freshly baked homemade cookies? Every first of October, Americans celebrate National Homemade Cookie Day by making a delicious batch of cookies at home. But did you know how many cookies the average American eats?

According to statistics, the average American consumes around 3 or more cookies a day, 300 cookies a year, or 35,000 cookies in their whole lifetime. Since the pandemic started, the demand for cookies has increased by 25% in the United States.

How Were Cookies First Made?

Cookies were said to be first developed in Iran around the 7th century. These first cookies were thought to be used to test the oven’s temperature before bakers started baking their cakes. Iran was also one of the first countries to have cultivated and harvest sugar canes.

With exploration and colonization quite popular back then, sugar and cookies were also introduced to Europe. By the end of the 14th century, cookies were very common in the region. In fact, the earliest European recipe for cookies can be found in the Renaissance period.

One of the most popular cookies during the Elizabethan era was a short square cookie made with egg yolks and a variety of spices. By that time the Industrial Revolution started, technological improvements gave rise to more cookie varieties. But the base for the cookies remained the same; wheat flour, sugar, and some form of fat. (Source: Dodo Cookie Dough)

When Did Cookies Arrive to America?

Early European explorers brought their cookie recipes with them when they arrived in America. Soon enough, these old recipes were modified to fit in the New World. The English teacake and Scottish shortbread are the cousins of the American butter cookies. Soon enough, every housewife in the Southern colonies knew how to make tea cakes with rose water and butter as a flavoring.

The first American cookies were given unique names like Cry Babies, Plunkets, and Jumbles. Unfortunately, no one had any idea what was in the cookie. When technology improved, the ingredients got better. By the time refrigerators were invented, icebox cookies had become a hit. (Source: Dodo Cookie Dough)

How Did the Chocolate Chip Cookie Start?

Ruth Graves Wakefield invented the Chocolate Chip Cookie by mistake in 1937. She was making Butter Drop Do cookies when she realized that she ran out of baker’s chocolate. She used a bar of semisweet chocolate, hoping it would melt into the dough. But the chocolate chunks kept their shape and tasted terrific. That was the very first batch of chocolate chip cookies that Wakefield named The Toll House Crunch Cookies. (Source: Dodo Cookie Dough)

In 1930 Wakefield wrote the Toll House Tried and True Recipes, which included the famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. Wakefield sold Nestle the exclusive rights to use her recipe and the Toll House name by March 1939. Rumors are she made a deal with the corporation for a dollar and a lifetime supply of chocolate. But Wakefield claims to have never received monetary compensation. (Source: New England, Yankee)

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