This 150-Year-Old Cookie Recipe Is a Family Heirloom (2024)

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

This 150-Year-Old Cookie Recipe Is a Family Heirloom (2024)

FAQs

What is the oldest cookie ever made? ›

It is known to be one of the oldest cookies and is probably to have developed from the ancient Roman crustulum. Pizzelle are also known as ferratelle or nevole in some parts of Abruzzo, as ferratelle in Lazio, and as ferratelle, cancelle, or pizzelle in Molise.

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.

How many dozen cookies for 100? ›

When you have a solid idea of your RSVP count, we suggest 6 – 8 cookies per person. In other words, if you are expecting 100 guests, 100 x 6 is 600, divided by 12 is 50 dozen cookies. More than that is fine, but make sure you save your transport containers as you may be taking some home.

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!

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.

Who is the rarest cookie? ›

Currently, the Frost Queen Cookie is the rarest and most sought-after cookie in the game. Frost Queen Cookie has been featured in the new Ice Frost Gacha, which was revealed in the first part of the Frost Witch and the Lantern in the Snow update.

How old is the Oreo cookie? ›

The first Oreo was sold on March 6, 1912, to a grocer in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Oreo Biscuit was renamed in 1921 to "Oreo Sandwich"; in 1948, the name was changed to "Oreo Crème Sandwich"; and in 1974 it became the "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie", the name that has remained to this day.

Who makes hydrox cookies now? ›

Hydrox is a creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie currently owned and manufactured by Leaf Brands. It debuted in the United States in 1908, and was manufactured by Sunshine Biscuits for over 90 years.

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.

What is cookie slang for? ›

Informal. dear; sweetheart (a term of address, usually connoting affection). Slang.

How much should I sell a dozen homemade cookies for? ›

Many simple cookies sell for between $2.00 and $5.00 each, but it's not uncommon to see a dozen cookies cost $55 or more depending on the time and ingredients that went into making them. Some people charge $10 or more per cookie because of their decorative, custom designs.

What is a Pittsburgh cookie table? ›

A cookie table is a wedding tradition where in addition to a wedding cake, a large table with different cookies is presented to guests at the wedding reception. Cookies are generally prepared by family members in advance of the reception. It is typically a tradition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Youngstown, Ohio.

How many cookies for 150 wedding guests? ›

The general rule of thumb suggests calculating 2-3 cookies per person if other desserts are available. If cookies are the primary sweet treat, consider increasing the count to 4-6 per person.

What is the max age cookie? ›

The user agent MUST limit the maximum value of the Expires attribute. The limit SHOULD NOT be greater than 400 days (34560000 seconds) in the future. The RECOMMENDED limit is 400 days in the future, but the user agent MAY adjust the limit (see Section 7.2).

What is the world record cookie? ›

We Baked The World's Biggest Cookie! No joke – it was 102 feet wide and over 40,000 pounds! On May 17, 2003, we baked the World's Biggest Cookie right here next to our bakery in Flat Rock, NC. At 102 feet wide and over 40,000 pounds, we turned the previous 80 foot record on its head!

What is the max cookie lifespan? ›

With this change, Chrome caps the expiration date to the maximum allowed value: 400 days from the time the cookie was set.

How old is the Snickerdoodle cookie? ›

According to the Joy of Baking: “Snickerdoodles, also called snipdoodles or cinnamon sugar cookies, have been around since the late 1800s. They probably originated in New England and are either of German or Dutch descent.

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