The “cookie” was originally invented out of necessity. Using just a portion of the cake batter, bakers used to test their oven temperatures to make sure the heat was precisely right. Eventually, the lightbulb went off. Let’s sell these “little cakes” too.
Would you believe me if I told you the very first cookie made and sold commercially in the United States was the Animal Cracker? Made by Nabisco, the Animal Cracker was launched in 1902. The original packaging depicted the crackers locked behind a cage. Fast-forward 116 years later and Nabisco reacted to disapproval from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and updated their box of Animal Crackers eliminating the cage in 2018. To be fair, PETA was formed in 1980.