Which of these sweet treats is less than a century old?
The first known recipe for a chocolate chip cookie appeared in chef Ruth Wakefield’s cookbook, ‘Tried and True’ in 1938. At the time, Ruth and her husband Kenneth ran the Toll House Inn and restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts.
As an in-hand snack or accompaniment to ice cream, the chocolate-chip cookie quickly became so popular that Marjorie Husted, a home economist and businesswoman who worked for General Mills, featured it on her radio show. At the time, Husted was well-known as the on-air voice of Betty Crocker.
In 1939, Wakefield allowed Nestle to use both her recipe and the Toll House name, allegedly for the cost of $1 and a lifetime supply of free chocolate.
Birthday cakes have been a part of celebrations in Western European countries since the middle of the 19th century. However, the link between cakes and birthday celebrations likely dates back even further, to ancient Roman times.
Apple pie isn’t nearly as American as some think. In fact, apple pie originated in Europe and was developed with the help of multiple culinary influences, including cuisine from Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the Ottoman Empire. A recipe for apple pie appears in a British cookbook, ‘The Forme of Cury’ that dates back to 1390.
In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I gave gifts of gingerbread men to her guests and visiting dignitaries. Though she did not invent gingerbread, her idea to make gingerbread men appears to be the first of its kind.
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