Fayetteville: Our Christmas Cookies Of Choice:
Christmas is now just days away, and for many of us, it is about the food and, of course, the treats, like Christmas cookies. According to a recent poll done by Newsweek, every state has its own favorite Christmas cookie, and for the great state of North Carolina, that would be No Bake Christmas Cookies. No Bake Christmas Cookies are cookies that you do not bake and come in many flavors, including peanut butter, chocolate chip, and oatmeal, to name a few.
Family
For me, growing up being a first-generation American with a mother from the Netherlands, Christmas cookies were always a big thing. And like they do in America with Santa Claus, we would leave Saint Nicholas Dutch cookies (usually windmill cookies with almonds) in wooden shoes on Christmas Eve, along with carrots for his horse.
By Definition
Christmas cookies are traditionally sugar cookies (though other flavors may be used based on family traditions and individual preferences) cut into various shapes related to Christmas.
Christmas Cookie History
The Dutch brought the earliest examples of Christmas cookies to the United States in the early 17th century. According to The History Channel, due to a wide range of cheap imported products from Germany between 1871 and 1906, following a change to importation laws, cookie cutters became available in American markets.
These imported cookie cutters often depicted highly stylized images with subjects designed to hang on Christmas trees. Due to the availability of these utensils, recipes began to appear in cookbooks designed to use them. In the early 20th century, U.S. merchants were also importing decorated Lebkuchen cookies from Germany to be used as presents.
Some Popular Christmas Cookies
Gingerbread: Gingerbread has existed in some form since sugars and spices were brought back to Europe from soldiers in the Crusades. However, it was not until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert included it with a variety of other German Christmas traditions that the gingerbread cookies became primarily associated with Christmas.
Bredele: Bredele are Christmas cookies in the Alsatian cuisine of France.
Fattigmann: A traditional cookie that dates from the Middle Ages in Norway, Fattigmann cookies are deep-fried in unsalted fat.
Kerstkransjes: Kerstkransjes are traditional Christmas cookies from the Netherlands. They are round with a hole in the middle. The most common type uses almond chips as decoration.
Great Cookie Bakeries In Fayetteville
Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth is located at 4011 Sycamore Dairy Rd, Ste 102, in Fayetteville. Sweet Tooth lets people order online and will run your order out to the car when you arrive. They have cookies and pumpkin pie cupcakes.
Superior Bakery
Superior Bakery is located at 2433 Hope Mills Rd Fayetteville, NC. The bakery was founded in 1956 by John S. Poulos. Mr. John immigrated from Greece in 1951 and began working as a dishwasher until he saved enough money to purchase a closed bakery on Raeford Road.
In 1958 John married Kay Paliouras. Together they grew the successful business and relocated to Hope Mills Road in 1971. John and Kay retired in 1988. Superior Bakery remains in the family and is operated by their son Nicko Poulos.
Kiss Me Cakes Bakery
Kiss Me Cakes Bakery is located at 4251 Legion Rd Ste 125 in Hope Mills. They are a local family-owned and run bakery and dessert shop specializing in homemade desserts, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, and all things sweet including brownies, cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake, etc.
