Famous Cookie Recipes From Around the Globe

Cookies are universal.  Around the globe, each country has its own famous cookies as a comfort food and a childhood treat.  Sometimes, great cookie ideas came from one person and before we knew it, these famous cookie recipes are making their journey around the world – thanks to the worldwide web and delicious articles like this one.      They're a great way to add a little international flair to your tea time.

The history of cookies can be traced back during the times of Medieval Europe, when ingredients were mostly dried fruits, almonds, pepper, ginger and cinnamon. In more recent times, cookies (or biscuits, in British parlance) have also served as an important food of inspiration during World War One.

There are different famous cookies around the globe, and each cookie may have a different taste, shape, color and texture. Even when the main ingredients are similar, cookies may include local ingredients that give it that distinctive taste.  Here are some of my favourite cookies I’ve seen over the years.

Gingerbread from England

 Probably the most famous cookie of the all is the gingerbread. During the times of the Holy Crusades, gingerbreads are thought to have existed but in a different shape than what it is today (can you picture crusaders carrying these smiling little men!?). This was when spices and sugars were brought to Europe by the Crusaders, but it wasn’t until the time of Queen Victoria that the gingerbread became strongly associated with Christmas.

Gingerbreads are distinctive of its ginger taste and smell, as the name implies. A typical ginger bread cookie recipe includes cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Gingerbreads in North America and England are usually made with molasses or treacle. To give the gingerbread its unique identity, cookie cutters or cookie molds in the shape of a wee man can be used, but really you can use any shape.   

Krumkake from Norway

A listing of famous cookies from around the world wouldn’t be complete without the traditional krumkake from Norway. They are traditionally baked in open fire with the use of a decorative cookie iron, but obviously you can use your stovetop or an electric iron. Krumkake is round and rolled to the shape of a cone and has a crumbly texture; it basically got its name from the crumbs left in your hands when you eat it. The primary ingredients are butter, flour, vanilla, water, sugar, and cardamom. Krumkake can be used as an alternative to ice cream cones – now that’s yummy. 

Pfeffernüsse from Scandinavia

The word Pfeffernüsse means pepper nuts in German, Dutch and Danish. The iconic cookie recipe of the same name, from Scandinavia, is made primarily from ground walnuts or almonds and little bit of black pepper to give it that distinctive spicy taste. Other ingredients are anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. The cookie is called peppernoten in Dutch and is a popular feature of the Dutch Christmas holidays – in parades you even see them thrown out in the crowd, as children dive to catch them. Each of the German speaking nations have their own variation of Pfeffernüsse which may contain cardamom, ginger or pecans.  

Anzac Biscuits from Australia & New Zealand

A trip to Australia wouldn’t be complete without a taste of its traditional Anzac biscuits. Anzac stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps” and they were first made by Australian and New Zealand women to bring to soldiers fighting in World War One.

The primary ingredients in traditional Anzac biscuit recipes are golden syrup as sweetener and rolled oats. The two ingredients were easy to find during the war, especially oats which was a lot cheaper and more available than flour. This also gave Anzac biscuits a long shelf life. Some researchers suggest that the term Anzac was only created after the war and it was simply called oatmeal biscuits back then. Despite that, Anzac biscuits are a wartime tradition which the two nations share and celebrate.  

Lebkuchen from Germany

Lebkuchen is a German tradition usually baked for Christmas. It is very, very similar to the aforementioned gingerbread, and some historians would say that lebkuchen was the original inspiration for gingerbread. Lebkuchen is thought to have been first created by Franconian monks during medieval times. Bakers who specialize in baking lebkuchen were recorded as early as the 12^th century in Nuremberg, Germany, which is where you’ll find the best lebkuchen today.

Traditional lebkuchen is large, about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and is either shaped as a circle or a rectangle. The ingredients are usually candied fruits, walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, cardamom, ginger, cloves, coriander, and anise seeds. The sweetener used in the traditional cookie recipe is honey but some modern recipes use white sugar. Through the centuries and decades, different variations of lebkuchen were created, including brown lebkuchen and elisen lebkuchen. 

Nan khatai from Pakistan and India

The Nan khatai is one of the famous cookies which come from Pakistan, not a place we normally associate with tasty treats.  It is also very popular in India and Afghanistan.  This cookie is considered to be very light yet sweet, and melts in your mouth.  Traditionally, it is made with “ghee” or a form of clarified butter.  But different variations have come into play.  Today, some people use unsalted butter when baking Nan khatai.  

Italian Biscotti

History tells us that biscotti came about during the time of Columbus and the credits belong to an Italian baker.  Back then, biscotti was exclusively almond flavored.  Looking back, the recipe has gone a long way since then because different flavored versions have cropped up. Recipes now add spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and fruits – basically anything you would want. Some are even topped with melted chocolate, crushed nuts and colored sprinkles.  Examples in recent memory have been Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, Chocolate Almond Biscotti and Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti – all go tasty with coffee!  

Bunuelos from Spain

Bunuelos are actually Spanish fritters.  These cookies are light and fluffy and just melt in your mouth.  They are very popular nowadays and in a typical meal you would have bunuelos for dessert.  However, this may also be perfect snacks in the afternoon after a day of sightseeing.  Bunuelos are lightly fried and are dusted with powdered sugar or may be filled with pastry cream, marmalade or egg custard.  

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie

What’s your favourite cookie?