Yellowhammer cookie

Last updated

Yellowhammer cookie
Type Cookie
CourseDessert
Place of origin Montgomery, Alabama
Main ingredients
  • Peanuts
  • Pecans
  • Oats
  • Honey
  • Peanut butter

A yellowhammer cookie is a type of stuffed drop cookie containing peanuts, pecans, oats, honey and peanut butter. Invented for a school baking competition, it became the official state cookie of Alabama later that year. The recipe includes locally relevant ingredients and is named after Alabama's State Bird.

Contents

History

Yellowhammer cookies are named after the yellowhammer, the state bird of Alabama Northern Flicker.jpg
Yellowhammer cookies are named after the yellowhammer, the state bird of Alabama

The yellowhammer cookie was invented in 2023 by elementary student Mary Claire Cook as part of a baking competition for her fourth grade class. The students were competing to create a cookie recipe that represented the state of Alabama, which Cook won. [1] The recipe includes ingredients associated with the agricultural history of Alabama, including oats, [2] peanuts, which are the state's official legume, and pecan, which are its official nut. [3] The class contacted State House Representative Reed Ingram who sponsored a bill to make Cook's recipe the official state cookie of Alabama. [4] On June 2 2023, the bill was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. [5] Cook attended the ceremony. [6] The name comes from the state bird of Alabama, the yellowhammer. [7]

Description

Yellowhammer cookies are drop cookies, made with a dough of flour, butter, brown sugar, oats, pecans, eggs, and vanilla. After baking, two cookies are sandwiched around a peanut butter and honey filling. [8] [9]

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References

  1. Hagler, Carolyn. "This Fourth Grader Created Alabama's New Official State Cookie". Smithsonian . Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  2. "Alabama's official state cookie is created by 4th grader Mary Claire Cook". NPR . June 6, 2003.
  3. "What is a 'Yellowhammer' cookie?". WDTN . June 3, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  4. Pitts, Sally (May 17, 2023). "4th grader's recipe could be Alabama's official state cookie". WSFA . Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  5. Darrington, Patrick (June 5, 2023). "Ivey signs bill making Yellowhammer Cookie official state cookie". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  6. "Alabama governor signs legislation naming Yellowhammer Cookie as official state cookie". AP News . June 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  7. "Yellowhammer Cookie is now the official Alabama state cookie". WAKA 8. June 2, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. Cook, Mary Claire (May 30, 2023). "Jonathan Harrison: Alabama Yellowhammer Cookie". WBRC . Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  9. "What is a 'Yellowhammer' cookie? Nutty treat becomes Alabama's newest state symbol". ABC 27 . June 3, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.