Cookies are the sorts of thing that legends are made of.  There are cookie monsters, cookie tossing, and milk with cookies.  Right now, there’s probably a box of cookies nearby you somewhere, if not directly in your home.  They’re a sweet treat that mixes incredibly well with a cold glass of milk.  They’re also the number one way for children to ruin their appetites, according to mothers around the world.

The cookie began as a simple biscuit, which was just an extension of regular bread-making techniques.  They were made to be more durable than bread, and can sit on a shelf for quite some time.  Cookies can go stale though, so you should always seal the bag and store it in a cool, dry place.  Nowadays, the world of cookies has exploded along many different fronts.  We’ll consider just a few major types of cookies here.

The Bread and Butter

All cookies are biscuit based, but not all biscuits are cookies!  What makes a biscuit a cookie?  My definition says that it must involve some sweet additive like chocolate chips or filling.  Think about shortbread or tea biscuits, for instance, and you’ll notice they are rather plain and smooth looking.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Probably the most wildly popular cookie in existence today, the chocolate chip cookie is a major player in the world of sweet snacks.  They’re a great treat with a glass of milk… even Santa Claus knows that!  Today, many manufacturers are putting new spins on the old classic.  From bright multi-colored chocolate chips to chocolate-chocolate chip cookies, the variety is amazing.  Nothing beats the original, in my opinion.

Cream Cookies

Another crazy category of cookies is the cream-filled cookie.  Best known in this category are Oreos.  These are also extremely tasty with a glass of milk.  Oreo has done a lot of hard work expanding their line to include insane variations like fudge-covered-chocolate-cream-filled Oreos.  If that doesn’t make you salivate and give you a heart attack just by thinking about it, I don’t know what will.

Mini-cookies

Many cookie manufacturers also offer their products in small bite-sized portions.  These are great for snacking though for some reason they never have the same texture and consistency as a full-on cookie.