Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A baker’s dozen

The concept of a baker’s dozen — giving one more than the standard 12 — has a long history all over Europe. It appears in English statutes as early as 1266 in regulations for bakers’ guilds, to ensure that bread sold in quantity would not be short-weighted, since in those days it would be difficult to make loaves of uniform weight. The penalties were severe, so bakers would add something extra to comply.

Today the expression has come to mean an extra cookie (or bun or pastry) added to an order of 12, as an “unexpected extra.” Please check back a little later today for the “Twelve Days of Cookie Baking” bonus — an award-winning recipe for Almond Triangles. CJK








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