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Here you will find scattered pictures from my point and shoot camera, random thoughts from my little world, treasured memories of days gone by, hopeful dreams of the days yet to come, and a bunch of ideas - because I've always got ideas!



Saturday, November 10, 2007

My Favorite Cookie


Can you buy Steenstra's Almond St. Claus Cookies where you live?
If not, I feel sad for you.
These happen to be the very best store bought cookie in the entire known world, in my humble opinion.
No. Really.

They are made in Hudsonville, MI. Where, by the way, my very favorite ice cream is made. I will have to extol the virtues of that on an entirely separate post.
I am happy to report that not one of my living family members drew breath on a day when these cookies did not exists.
That thought comforts me.



Now, I must tell you that there are five different shapes of cookie in each box.
I prefer to eat only these two shapes.
The "St. Claus on a horse" and "Boy and Girl" who, it says on the box, love to receive presents.





Ever since I was a very small child, this is precisely what 'cookie' meant to me.
My mom likes to tell me that at a very young age I informed her when she gave me 'a' cookie that I had 'two hands!'
I also removed St. Claus from the horse, as I always wanted a horse for myself. I still do that.
The horse is actually quite fun to play with.
Baby Boy likes it too.








I cannot eat the boy and girl without first separating them.
Never could. Never would.
Now, I eat the girl and allow Baby Boy to nibble at the boy.
If you are thinking - 'oh! we have those! they are called windmill cookies!' you are WRONG. These are most assuredly NOT windmill cookies, although there IS a windmill in the package (because St. Claus lives in a windmill). These are St. Claus Cookies!!








There exists much debate about whether or not these cookies are best eaten dry, or dunked. My advice is, IF you choose to dunk, dunk fast. Unless you like slimy sludge at the bottom of your cup.
My grandma used to let me have coffee just so I could dunk them.

And, if by some chance you do not eat them all, they do photograph nicely!


25 comments:

Yvonne said...

Oh - My - Gosh - Almond cookies are my favorite - and NO I cannot get them where I live here outside Chicago!!! Where can I get them? Can I get them online?? Wahhhh!!! I think I want some! Do I now have to drive to Michigan to get some??

Jill said...

Yvonne, I did a google search and only found another blogger mentioning how yummy they are. I wish we could both order some online. I'm in PA

Angela said...

Yum! I shall have to try those cookies...I hope they shall not be too hard to find. they look yummy. plus, now I really want to know what the other two shapes are...

Heather Plett said...

Never seen them before, but you've made my mouth water.

joyce said...

thanks a lot, Judy. Now, not only do you sound angry on most comments that you leave me, and you repeatedly taunt me with great old treasures that you've found.. Now, you're waving these cookies in front of my face!!!!
(did you see that? FOUR exclamation points. Next time, i'm adding a smiley face.)

Anonymous said...

I am utterly destroyed by the notion that we cannot buy Judy's favorite cookies here in Wyoming. This is a terrible wrong done to us.

We are suffering.

(But we love that you can have them)

::sulking::

Cynthia

Debra said...

Oh, they sound yummy! And I loved your pictures, the bottom one especially--so cool! Blessings, Debra

Judy said...

This afternoon my parents, Baby Boy and I sat around the giant footstool and finished the cookies.

If you come to West Michigan, I will load up on these cookies and we will gather together around the giant footstool, and ENJOY!

If you live around here, they can be found in the cookie aisle at Family Fare.

MissKris said...

Nope, never heard of those cookies before...but I bet you don't have JaCiva chocolates there in your part of the world. If you're a chocolate fan, theirs is to die for! I always had a thing about biting the heads off first on any of my animal crackers when I was a kid...I guess I didn't like the idea of them staring back at me, ha!

Dora said...

I have LOVED these cookies for as far back as I can remember. Oh Lord, they are good.

Yvonne said...

I'm all for gathering around the footstool!

Melodee said...

Oh no! All these years, I've been deprived!

Anonymous said...

These are brilliant cookies. When my family come from MI to visit me in Brooklyn I make sure they buy a couple packages at the local Meijer.

The missus and I just finished the last package and aren't sure when we'll get the next.

Anonymous said...

I don't know when this blog started, but I just did a google for the cookies out of curiousity...the reason being...the cookie recipe was my great grandfathers from the Netherlands & he brought it here with his family. My grandfather started the bakery (in Grandville) and because the cookies took up to much production time had to open the "cookie factory". I am happy to say both are still in operation and owned by family.

I know I am biased, but they are the best cookies. Dunked or dry...they are awesome. I know that Meijers now has them in the stores, but I don't know if they are in all stores in the midwest area.

Thanks for the postings and letting me post.

Dave S.

Anonymous said...

I'm from Chicago, and used to be able to get these St. Claus cookies at the White Hen Pantry right off the south-western edge (Emerson Street) of the Northwestern University campus in Evanston (a common late-night study treat for me). Now I'm all the way in sunny Miami, Florida (ugh), but I was able to find these at the Publix Grocery store bakery (now that it's the upcoming Christmas season). I'm so thankful Publix purchases these cookies ..... so very happy I want to faint.

I love them so much I don't know what to do. These cookies are, by far, the best store-bought mass-produced processed and packaged cookie I've ever eaten from a store shelf .... ever.

Anonymous said...

I see that my Uncle Dave left a comment. I would also like to add my two cents. I live in Greeley, Colorado and we do not get these cookies out here. But - growing up, there wasn't a box mailed from my grandparents in Michigan that didn't have a few packages of Steenstra cookies. I am proud of my "cookie" grandpa and my family heritage. Hearing about "COOKIEGATE" through e-mails from my aunts and uncles is fascinating. I was in Michigan a few weeks ago to visit my grandmother. My uncle Rog gave me a case of St. Claus cookies to take home with me. When this news broke - I had to pass out the packages to my coworkers - "My family is famous" I joked!!!!! What a hoot! Long live Steenstra cookies. They are and always will be my favorite!

Linda said...

I don't think I've ever had Steenstra's Almond cookies but I did grow up with a cookie we called "Speculaas" which I think is similar. When there was nothing in the kitchen we'd get those cookies to put on our sandwiches. By lunch time they'd soften up a bit on the sandwich. Oh sweetness. That was yummy!

Anonymous said...

I just bought these in Miami and I LOVE them! I hope they make Ginger cookies too! gonna check it out.

Anonymous said...

So I just thought I would add my comments here too. As the grandson of the people that brought this recipe from the Netherlands, I would say these are the best cookies ever. I can remembering going to the factory and hanging out with Grandparents while they made them, I would say nothing beats the smell or taste of those cookies when they are fresh baked.

Anonymous said...

These are the very best cookies! I used to have my Dad send them to me here in Florida, but then my husband saw them at PUBLIX. But now I cannot find them there. I hope the post is true that says they are in the bakery and not the cookie aisle. I will check tomorrow. With so many posts from people who can't get them, maybe I should buy a case and put them on eBay! ha.ha.

Anonymous said...

I just had these for the first time- best store-bought cookie in my life. Tastes a little like the variety I used to buy in Amsterdam. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Buy them from

These are great cookies! and very 20affordable, too.

Lynn

Anonymous said...

I bought a box of the Ginger Almond cookies and feel in love. My wife and I have to watch our sugar intake and notice on the package that these cookies only contain 4 grams each, which I thought was good. Well ever since that first box I have continued buying them. Thanks Steenstra's you make a great Cookie.

Tara flanagan said...

They are available on Amazon.com, also on Amazon.ca, but they are very expensive. We have a place in Cape Coral Florida, and each time we go there, about three times a year, I go tote public and load up on them, so I can have them T home in Canada, without having to pay the Amazon prices. They Re the best ever cookies, and everyone I know is now addicted hopelessly to them.
Tara

Unknown said...

These are one of the most requested items that friends and family members mention to me later when I include them in gift baskets around the holidays. They are a crunchy,lightly spiced cookie with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg that is best enjoyed with ones morning coffee.