I don't do a lot of baking anymore, to my family's chagrin. The reason? I'd be tempted to eat more than my share. But I do buy baked goods - especially for special celebrations.
I recently noticed - in a supermarket "kitchens of the world" aisle -
that Christmas baking had begun to appear. I decided to try some
"Oblate" cookies from Germany.
The name intrigued me... Why oblate? (To me an oblate is associated with a convent or monastery.)
I tried them - they were so good I could have finished them off in one sitting! Round, soft gingerbread. Some had a sweet white glaze on top.
But what was the white on the bottom? It looked like icing but it didn't taste sweet.
I did a google search for
Oblate Gingerbread Cookies - and discovered that these cookies have been made for hundreds of years. In the middle ages, monks baked them on communion wafers so that they wouldn't stick to the pan. That's what the white bottoms were - unsweetened wafers, like those used in communion! Hence the name.
I plan to go back and get a few more packages. (Hopefully they'll last till Christmas!)
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