NJ’s favorite Christmas cookie is the most popular in the country

It’s one of the most popular traditions during the holidays with family and friends.

Baking Christmas cookies is a fun way to get everyone together to celebrate.

You can even get your kids involved and help decorate.

Whether you’re making these cookies for a swap, displaying them on your Christmas dinner table for dessert, or leaving them out for Santa on Christmas Eve, this tradition is something many of us look forward to every year.

And let’s be real, the smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies lingering around your house just makes it that much better. That’s why they have Christmas cookie candles!

Did you know that the traditional Christmas cookie comes from the Middle Ages when nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger became more available in Europe, they started to add those ingredients to your typical butter and sugar combo to create these cookies once a year during Christmas.

I love a good history lesson.

Since all we do is Google everything, the company released the most popular and most searched cookie in each state across the country and New Jersey’s favorite doesn’t surprise me at all.

There’s a great mix of cookies across the board, but one type that didn’t make the popular list that surprised me was a Gingerbread Cookie. Only three states are making batches of it: Maine, Nevada, and Utah.

The other least popular cookie, Peppermint, is found in Indiana, Iowa, and New Hampshire.

As for some of the popular cookies, you can find many states making:

Sugar Cookies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Red Velvet Cookies

Pinwheel Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies

But New Jersey is so obvious and makes so much sense, I don’t know how I didn’t guess it right away.

New Jersey’s favorite Christmas cookie is the Italian Christmas cookie.

Of course, we’re not the only state. It’s one of the most popular cookies in the country, mostly coming from the East Coast: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

You can Google for a recipe, but you know that most New Jerseyans have family recipes that they stick to and don't share.

Hopefully, these were on your baking list. Merry Christmas!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Morning Show Producer Kristen. Any opinions expressed are her own.

Questions, corrections, or comments? Send Producer Kristen an email at kristen.accardi@townsquaremedia.com or follow her on Instagram.