NATIONAL LACY OATMEAL COOKIE DAY

There are cookie holidays and then there is National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day. Each year on March 18th, this holiday celebrates a delicate cookie made from oats.

Some people may refer to this day as National Oatmeal Cookie Day (which is celebrated on April 30th). The difference between the two is that lacy oatmeal cookies are wafer-thin and typically accompany a scoop of ice cream or sorbet.

In the early 1900s, oatmeal became a major ingredient in the American diet. Before that, Americans relied on other grains. Originating in England, oatmeal cookies have been around since the 1800s.  However, it is believed that they were created after the oatcake. Soldiers used to carry oatcakes with them for a quick boost of energy during battle. Most research found that the first recorded oatmeal raisin cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896.Considered a health food, the cookies quickly became popular. By the early 1900s, a recipe for the delicious treats appeared on containers of Quaker Oats.

Oatmeal cookies are an excellent source of iron and fiber

Bakers use many different recipes for the lacy oatmeal cookies. Additionally, home bakers bake with a variety of oats including old fashioned oats, quick-cooking oats, oat bran or oat flour.  For a healthier cookie, add finely chopped or ground fruits (such as raisins) or nuts and use a sugar substitute. You can also decorate your lacy oatmeal cookies with icing drizzled on top of the cookie.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #LacyOatmealCookieDay

Lacy oatmeal cookies make pretty decorations on top of cakes and other baked goods, too. They also make excellent gifts. Make some for a friend or neighbor. 

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NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKE DAY

At breakfast, add a few blueberries to your pancake, flapjack or hotcake. National Blueberry Pancake Day is observed January 28.

The early pancakes consisted mostly of flour and milk and were more like biscuits. Later, eggs, milk, a leavening agent (such as baking powder) and fat were added creating the fluffier, lighter pancake we know today.

Adding blueberries to the pancake batter when mixing up the ingredients may result in a bluish hue. To avoid this, add them right after dropping dollops of batter to the hot griddle.

Blueberries add a freshness to pancakes and nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese and copper.

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HOW TO OBSERVE

Whip up some pancakes with this recipe:  Todd’s Famous Blueberry Pancakes recipe.

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NATIONAL PFEFFERNUSSE DAY

December 23rd is reserved for National Pfeffernusse Day, a German spice cookie. Very popular around the holidays, pfeffernusse are fluffy cookies made with ground nuts and spices and covered in powdered sugar.

The exact origin of the cookie is unknown. However, the Dutch believe that pfeffernusse (or pepernoten) are linked to the feast of Sinterklaas, which is celebrated on December 5 in the Netherlands and December 6 in Germany and Belgium. This holiday is when children receive gifts from St. Nicholas, who is partially the inspiration for the Santa Claus tradition. 

Over time, many bakers have created their own pfeffernusse recipes. Traditional methods included various nuts such as almonds and walnuts. Some modern recipes exclude nuts altogether along with the black pepper, retaining only cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom as flavorings. Bakers also use molasses and honey to sweeten the cookie.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPfeffernusseDay

Break out your favorite pfeffernusse recipe and start baking. This is one holiday tradition that will bring back memories for many of you. Not only will you be able to savor the delicious spicy-sweet cookies, but you can also pass down the tradition to another generation. Once you have a good stack of them baked and cooled, package them up as sweet gifts for loved ones. They will appreciate the cookies and your thoughtfulness.

Do you have recipes to share? Be sure to use #NationalPfeffernusseDay to post on social media.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DAY

Gingerbread House Day is observed annually on December 12.

A favorite food of an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, brought gingerbread to Europe around 992 AD and taught French Christians to bake it. Gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies and was baked to be sturdy as it was often molded into images of saints.

We can thank the Brothers’ Grimm for the idea of a gingerbread house through their tale of Hansel and Gretel. It didn’t take long for the German gingerbread guilds to pick up the idea and put it to a more festive use making snowy cottages made from the spicy-sweet treat.

Looking for holiday baking?

HOW TO OBSERVE

Gather the family together, bake up some gingerbread and start building and decorating your very own gingerbread house.  Give the recipe below a try.

Gingerbread House

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NATIONAL SPICY HERMIT COOKIE DAY

National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day celebrates a cookie flavor reminiscent autumn spices. Recognized on November 15th, this time of year is ideal for baking up a batch of these delicious cookies. 

Considered an old-fashioned cookie, it’s spice comes from cinnamon, cloves, allspice and sometimes nutmeg. An added bonus are the raisins, nuts, and dates.

Hermit cookies originated in the New England area. In 1880, the young ladies of the Trinity Church, Plattsburgh, New York published the cookbook Champlain Valley Book of Recipes with a Hermits recipe. This local cookbook was a 3rd edition suggesting its first printing was a year or two earlier. Soft and chewy, these cookies sure put a smile on the face of all who taste them.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #SpicyHermitCookieDay

Add hermit cookies to your holiday baking list. Host a baking party and invite friends to join you. Snuggle up with a plate of these delicious cookies and share them while drinking a cup of hot cocoa. 

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