Little Cakes
Our modern English name, cookie, comes to us from the Dutch koekje, or “little cake.” Cookies were so associated with cakes that clear up until the early part of the 20^th century, cookies were still listed in cookbooks in the cake section. As they gradually took on a life of their own, they garnered their own chapter and evolved into countless variations.

Cookies as we know them today evolved from several Old World traditions, especially the Germanic lebküchen, a sort of flat cake around which traditions stretch back to medieval times. Used in celebrations, they were usually stamped with images of gods and goddesses, animals, various religious symbols, and so on. The best example of these early cookies is the German springerle, the embossed, anise-flavored cookies baked in special molds that are still part of German holidays. Springerle date back to the ancient Julfest, a pagan midwinter festival whose symbol was the image of a jumping horse, the sacred animal of Wotan (or Odin), king of the Nordic gods and one of the central figures in Wagner’s epic opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen.

The Dutch “little cakes” have traditionally been sold in the banketbakkerij, a baker’s shop, famous for their speculaas, similar to the German springerle, and they also are baked in carved molds that symbolize various occasions, biblical scenes, ships, etc. These are common also in Belgium where they are known as speculoos. Even in America, cookies were originally purchased for special occasions like holidays, birthdays, and such, especially New Year’s Day. Eventually, of course, cookies became a common snack item, either baked fresh at home or purchased from a shop or bakery. Easily the most famous American cookie is the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie created by Mrs. Ruth Wakefield who owned the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Mass. It is uncertain exactly when she first made them, but the recipe didn’t appear in cookbooks until the 1930s.

Crackers, the Perfect Vehicle
If cookies resulted from traditional celebrations, crackers were born out of necessity. Because they are dry and keep for many weeks, crackers were the mainstay of sea voyages and land expeditions. Two centuries ago, hardtack or sea biscuits were an important part of any voyager’s diet. The name itself came into use in America in the mid 19^th century, back when cracker barrels were a common sight in general stores across the country. The name first appeared in print in 1870, and presumably, refers to the sound they make when broken apart.

Today, of course, crackers are a snack of the first order and one of the most perfect vehicles for cheese, deli meats, spreads, dips, pates, and even peanut butter and jelly, if memory serves. They are available in a wide variety of shapes and flavors, and unlike bread, they can be stored in the cupboard for long periods of time, ready for when you need them. Simply made, with little or no sugar, crackers can actually be a healthful snack, especially when combined with cheese and fruit.

Spreading the Profits
One would naturally think that jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, and the like were outgrowths of the age-old attempt to preserve the harvest each year for the cold, fruitless days of winter. Their genesis in this case, however, may have had more to do with the apothecary than the grocer. When sugar first arrived in Europe in the Middle Ages, it was not only a very pricey commodity, it was cherished more for its supposed medicinal properties than for its sweetness, and like tea that would come later, only the well-to-do could afford it. Sugared treats were thought to be good remedies for winter colds, coughs, and even sustenance for nursing mothers. It was from this curious use of sugar that fruit preserves originally were conceived. They would have been very expensive due to the sugar, and they were much more of a solid confection that the soft, spreadable jams and jellies of today. Eventually, increased knowledge of pectin, as well as the hygiene necessary for sealing jars of jam made preserves more accessible and brought them into the modern era.

The nomenclature for this category can be confusing. Basically jams, preserves and conserves are the same thing with different names, the two latter terms far outdating the word jam. Jelly indicates that the fruit has been strained to remove the pulp, resulting in a smooth, spreadable gel, hence the name. In other words, jam is made with whole fruit, while jelly is made from fruit syrup or juice. To further add to the confusion, fruit spreads are essentially preserves that are made with much less sugar and therefore cannot legally call themselves preserves. Fruit spreads are typically made in smaller batches and although are more perishable, they are no less delicious.

Here are some new products that we discovered recently at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. Cookies and crackers and spreads, oh my!