My boyfriend calls me a “lactard.”
This is in reference to my unfortunate lactose intolerance. Go figure though; lately I have been suffering through my new obsession with whole milk. And what better to go with whole milk than cookies? Specifically Otterbein’s Cookies. Otterbein’s Cookies are made in a bakery in Baltimore and I decided that they probably some of the best mass-produced cookies I have ever had before this blog was even thought of. The cookies are ultra-thin, light, extremely flavorful and pleasingly crunchy; each cookie is cut into a small triangle, circle, heart and gingerbread man shape making you feel like a little kid again.
Otterbein’s is a longtime Baltimore bakery tradition. The familiar cookies in the red and white-checked bag started churning out in 1881 when Adam Otterbein, a recent immigrant from Germany, opened a bakery near Fort McHenry. His German confections were popular but his sugar cookies quickly became his best seller. The cookies, thin and cut by hand, were a fast sellout and became well known throughout the city.
The business stayed in the family and, eventually, moved from Fort McHenry to Northeast Baltimore in the late 1950’s. Despite the change, the high demand for the sugar cookies did not change one bit. In 1996 Adam Otterbein’s great grandson Mark began producing the cookies wholesale and adding different varieties (such as gingerbread, lemon, oatmeal raisins and chocolate chip) as well as allowing bags of the cookies to be sold at grocery stores throughout the area. The cookies are relatively low priced, local and a family tradition which only adds to the appeal of the cookies and their reputation as top-sellers.
These cookies are another wonderful contribution of working-class immigrants, specifically German immigrants, to the city of Baltimore. Although the taste, texture, look and bag of Otterbein’s cookies have become a part with Baltimore food culture, their history as a home-style German recipe should not be forgotten.
References:
http://www.otterbeinsbakery.com/history/
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