These ones take the cookie

The cookie that started as an imitation but is now number one

Everyone loves a cookie. But which kind of cookie? The options are seemingly endless, but some are more loved than others. In some cases, it is the cookie itself that makes it a fan-favorite. In others, a particular brand recipe manages to beat the competition and secure the consumers’ loyalty. Here are some cookies that are a resounding success in America.

A staple for cookie enthusiasts, chocolate chip cookies have many versions and are distributed by many brands. A true American classic, they were invented (or at least, pioneered) in the 1930s by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who decided to add a chopped bar of Nestlé chocolate into her cookie dough. In exchange for printing the recipe in their packaging, Nestlé paid her $1 and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

The best-selling cookie in the world, Oreo was initially developed as a copycat of the then-popular Hydrox cookie. The marketing campaign was so successful that Oreo largely surpassed Hydrox, and some people nowadays believe Hydrox to be an Oreo imitation. The origins of the Oreo name are unknown, but it is today synonymous with fondant-filled chocolate cookies.

No one is really sure where these chewy, cinnamony cookies originated, but they have earned their place in the American cookie repertoire. The use of cream of tartar as its key ingredient makes the cookie dough slightly tangy and gives it a soft interior that sets it apart from other sugar cookies. The name ‘snickerdoodle’ is attributed to German or Pennsylvania Dutch origins, but some say it is just a nonsense word.

When a Girl Scout troop from Oklahoma decided to sell cookies as a fundraiser in 1917, they couldn't have imagined they were starting a million-dollar business. The varieties sold by the Girl Scouts have changed through the decades, but fan-favorites such as Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs have become permanent staples.

Graham Crackers are typically associated with pie crusts and s’mores, but did you know that they were developed as part of a temperance movement? That’s right, they were invented by Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham, who believed that a vegetarian, wheat-centered diet could help suppress devious urges. He created a plain, unsweetened, coarse cracker as a diet staple, without knowing it would become integral to many snacks and sweet treats.

Originally imported from Britain, these cookies were so popular in the late 19th century that imports were unable to keep up with the demand, so bakers started producing them locally. At the turn of the 20th century, they were rebranded as Barnum’s Animals to evoke the popular circus, a name they still use today, though the circus-inspired design has changed to reflect a more ethical treatment of animals.

Sweet and buttery, shortbread cookies are believed to be of Scottish origin, where they are associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations. Introduced in the U.S. by Scottish immigrants, they were made popular under the brand Lorna Doone at the beginning of the 20th century.

Developed in the 19th century by a German-American confectioner, these cookies might not seem much at first sight, but they have become a staple in the American cookbook. Originally sold as Vanilla Wafers, they became popular in the South as an ingredient for banana pudding, so much so that the recipe was printed on the box. In the 1960s, the name was officially changed to Nilla Wafers.

Named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts, these cookies were originally developed in Philadelphia as a copy of the British fig roll. Its creator, Charles Roser, used a machine that allowed him to extrude the cookie and the filling as one, in a continuous roll. He later sold his recipe to the Kennedy Biscuit Company, who popularized it under the Fig Newton name.

Another best-seller by Nabisco (the owner of Oreo), Nutter Butter is one of the most popular peanut butter sandwich cookies in the market. Besides being a peanut-lovers’ favorite, it has become synonymous with blood donations in the U.S, to the point that donations dropped substantially when the Red Cross stopped offering it to donors. Luckily, Nabisco committed to donating Nutter Butters for this purpose.

An imitation of Italian-style biscuits, Milano Cookies were developed by the Pepperidge Farm company as part of a ‘European’ cookie series. They have since become extremely popular and have expanded their flavor range beyond their original milk chocolate version. Each year, Pepperidge Farm introduces seasonal and limited-edition flavors based on consumer demand, such as Chai Latte, London Fog, or Café au Lait.

Brain teasers

Why does "queue" need 5 letters? This and other English oddities

Image: Ben White

We use it every day, but have you ever stopped to think about how strange the English language really is? From contradictory words to pronunciations that make no sense, English is full of quirks that are more head-scratching than helpful. Here are some gems that’ll have you saying, "Wait... what?"

Image: Melanie Klepper

It’s five letters long, but it sounds exactly like its first letter. The rest are just there for moral support, you know? "Queue" is one of those words where the spelling just wants to make things fancier than they need to be.

Image: Joe Caione

Go ahead, say it out loud. The first "C" is an "s," the second is a hard "k," and the third is a soft "sh." Three letters, three sounds, and one very confused learner. How does one letter wear so many hats? Only in English could a single sentence be a pronunciation puzzle.

Image: Fallon Michael

You’ve got fingertips and toetips, sure. But if we can "tiptoe" when we walk lightly, why can’t we "fingertip" when we tap something gently? Toes get all the fun verbs, so fingers deserve better PR.

Image: David Vives

We ship things by car and call them shipments. But when it’s by ship, we call it cargo. Obviously, that makes... zero sense. "Let’s really mess with future English students," they said… And succeeded.

Image: Milad Fakurian

Here’s a brain teaser: "Jail" and "prison" mean the same thing. But a "jailor" is someone who guards the place, while a "prisoner" is someone locked inside. What happened there? A linguistic version of lovers to enemies!

Image: Nick Fewings

If "laid" and "paid" are pronounced the same, one could expect "said" to follow the pattern. But it does not, and the matter gets worse. "Said" sounds like "bread". But "bread" sounds nothing like "bead." Consistency not found! Honestly, you just learn the words and hope for the best, right?

Image: Dimitry B

Even typography is in on the English mischief. Just look at it: It’s clearly a VV. Not UU. The name feels like it was decided during a spelling bee panic, and we all just went along with it.

Image: Houcine Ncib

So… How come the English language has a very specific word for "throwing someone out of a window" (Yup, "defenestration" is an actual word), but when we need to refer to 48 hours from now, we’re stuck with "the day after tomorrow"? Priorities, right?

Image: Joana Abreu

Try saying "have a good day" and then "enjoy your next 24 hours" to someone and see how their face changes. Same sentiment, wildly different vibes. One sounds like a cashier at Target, the other like a Bond villain. Context, tone..., we need to pay attention to every single detail!

Image: Vadim Bogulov

Another pronunciation conundrum. How can you rhyme "womb" with "room," "tomb" with "gloom," but then "bomb" sounds like... "mom"? This is the kind of chaos that makes non-native speakers cry into their dictionaries, you know?