Everyone has something that immediately transports them back to their childhood days. For me, it's animal crackers and The Land Before Time movies. For others, it might be Oreos, Pepperidge farm cookies, or a toy that was popular in their younger days. One snack that never ceases to invoke joy and nostalgia in our hearts is Mother's Cookies, the adorable, frosted sugar cookies that took America by storm in the early 1900s.
Mother's Cookies Varieties
If you've never had the delight of eating Mother's Cookies, there's a version for everyone. The Mother's original circus animal cookies are decorated with pink and white frosting and sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils. However, the best part is their lovable animal shapes, which range from hippos to seals to cougars!
If you're feeling imaginative and adventurous, the sparkling mythical creatures are another option, featuring mermaids, unicorns and dragons. No matter your age, it's hard not to smile at the concept of a sparkly unicorn cookie! However, if you don't feel like biting into a dragon cookie at lunch, you can always go for Mother's iced oatmeal cookies, coconut cocadas, or chocolate chip cookies. As for those who love a good sandwich cookie, the dulce de leche and English tea cookies are the way to go.
Chocolate lovers will enjoy the double fudge, which is basically chocolate sandwich cookies. If you have a sweet tooth but not aren't feeling chocolate, the taffy dulce de leche cookies are crunchy, shortbread-like wafers with a delectable creme filling. Another delicious option is peanut butter gaucho!
Mother's Cookies are available in the classic 11 oz size, or you can go for the family size at 48 oz. Just head to motherscookies.com and find the cookies that suit your fancy! If you're wondering what ingredients could combine to create such a beloved result, the circus animal varieties contain sugar, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), hydrogenated palm kernel oil, nonfat milk, cornstarch, contains 2% or less of high fructose corn syrup, salt, soy lecithin, artificial flavors, baking soda, confectioner's glaze, carnauba wax, color added, red 3, red 40 lake, yellow 5, blue 1, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, and yellow 6.
The Story of Mother's Cookies
Although the cookies themselves are the most important part, the story of Mother's Cookies is part of what makes them so amazing! It all started with Noah Wheatley, who ran a newspaper stand and decided to purchase the rights to a recipe from one of his customers. A year later, he started a one-person bakery on 12th Avenue in Oakland, baking thousands of cookies a day.
Noah eventually fell in love and married a woman named Leopoldine, who helped out in the bake shop. The two had a son, Floyd, and continued to successfully run their cookie company until their son took over. The family bakery grew in success until eventually employing over 750 dedicated employees across multiple states.
Their success led Mother's Cookies took to the screen, with TV commercials featuring actual employees dancing and singing as they bake Mother's Cookies. Throughout the '80s, the company baked over 17 million cookies a day to keep up with the demand for delicious animal cookies.
Unfortunately, Mother's Cookies was forced to shut down production in 2008. However, after a year, Kellogg company took over production, ensuring that the many fans of Mother's Cookies could continue enjoying their favorite snacks to their heart's content.
Make Your Own Mother's Cookies
For those who love baking their own cookies, the internet is full of recipes for homemade Mother's Cookies. Recreate your childhood delights with your own frosting made of confectioners sugar and food coloring, topping them with as many sprinkles as you like! Enjoy a taste of nostalgia from your own kitchen, or buy the original Mother's Cookies for a delicious treat.
