These ones take the cookie

The cookie that started as an imitation but is now number one

Everyone loves a cookie. But which kind of cookie? The options are seemingly endless, but some are more loved than others. In some cases, it is the cookie itself that makes it a fan-favorite. In others, a particular brand recipe manages to beat the competition and secure the consumers’ loyalty. Here are some cookies that are a resounding success in America.

A staple for cookie enthusiasts, chocolate chip cookies have many versions and are distributed by many brands. A true American classic, they were invented (or at least, pioneered) in the 1930s by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who decided to add a chopped bar of Nestlé chocolate into her cookie dough. In exchange for printing the recipe in their packaging, Nestlé paid her $1 and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

The best-selling cookie in the world, Oreo was initially developed as a copycat of the then-popular Hydrox cookie. The marketing campaign was so successful that Oreo largely surpassed Hydrox, and some people nowadays believe Hydrox to be an Oreo imitation. The origins of the Oreo name are unknown, but it is today synonymous with fondant-filled chocolate cookies.

No one is really sure where these chewy, cinnamony cookies originated, but they have earned their place in the American cookie repertoire. The use of cream of tartar as its key ingredient makes the cookie dough slightly tangy and gives it a soft interior that sets it apart from other sugar cookies. The name ‘snickerdoodle’ is attributed to German or Pennsylvania Dutch origins, but some say it is just a nonsense word.

When a Girl Scout troop from Oklahoma decided to sell cookies as a fundraiser in 1917, they couldn't have imagined they were starting a million-dollar business. The varieties sold by the Girl Scouts have changed through the decades, but fan-favorites such as Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs have become permanent staples.

Graham Crackers are typically associated with pie crusts and s’mores, but did you know that they were developed as part of a temperance movement? That’s right, they were invented by Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham, who believed that a vegetarian, wheat-centered diet could help suppress devious urges. He created a plain, unsweetened, coarse cracker as a diet staple, without knowing it would become integral to many snacks and sweet treats.

Originally imported from Britain, these cookies were so popular in the late 19th century that imports were unable to keep up with the demand, so bakers started producing them locally. At the turn of the 20th century, they were rebranded as Barnum’s Animals to evoke the popular circus, a name they still use today, though the circus-inspired design has changed to reflect a more ethical treatment of animals.

Sweet and buttery, shortbread cookies are believed to be of Scottish origin, where they are associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations. Introduced in the U.S. by Scottish immigrants, they were made popular under the brand Lorna Doone at the beginning of the 20th century.

Developed in the 19th century by a German-American confectioner, these cookies might not seem much at first sight, but they have become a staple in the American cookbook. Originally sold as Vanilla Wafers, they became popular in the South as an ingredient for banana pudding, so much so that the recipe was printed on the box. In the 1960s, the name was officially changed to Nilla Wafers.

Named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts, these cookies were originally developed in Philadelphia as a copy of the British fig roll. Its creator, Charles Roser, used a machine that allowed him to extrude the cookie and the filling as one, in a continuous roll. He later sold his recipe to the Kennedy Biscuit Company, who popularized it under the Fig Newton name.

Another best-seller by Nabisco (the owner of Oreo), Nutter Butter is one of the most popular peanut butter sandwich cookies in the market. Besides being a peanut-lovers’ favorite, it has become synonymous with blood donations in the U.S, to the point that donations dropped substantially when the Red Cross stopped offering it to donors. Luckily, Nabisco committed to donating Nutter Butters for this purpose.

An imitation of Italian-style biscuits, Milano Cookies were developed by the Pepperidge Farm company as part of a ‘European’ cookie series. They have since become extremely popular and have expanded their flavor range beyond their original milk chocolate version. Each year, Pepperidge Farm introduces seasonal and limited-edition flavors based on consumer demand, such as Chai Latte, London Fog, or Café au Lait.

Facts you didn't know you needed

Is the day longer for your pet? Mind-blowing facts you need to know

Adults often assume they already understand the world, but there’s always something new to surprise us! Did you know that clouds actually have weight? Or that the day is longer for some animals? And that’s just the beginning. From hidden functions of your organs to the true color of the universe, today you’ll learn 10 fascinating facts you probably never thought to ask, but will make you sound impressively smart in your next conversation!

Unlike humans, animals don’t experience a shared "present" in quite the same way. Instead, their sense of time is tied to the rhythms of their own bodies. For very small animals with fast metabolisms like parrots, hamsters, or guinea pigs, time actually seems to pass more slowly. In a sense, they live in slow motion because their faster-working nervous systems allow them to process sensory information at a fast speed.

What if someone commits a crime and tries to blame their identical twin? Have you ever wondered about that? It’s a valid question; after all, identical twins not only look alike, they also share the same DNA. But here’s the surprising part: if investigators check fingerprints, the innocent twin could be cleared. That’s because, despite their nearly identical DNA, twins have unique fingerprints, shaped by subtle genetic and environmental factors in the womb.

You’ve probably spent time lying on the grass, watching clouds drift across the sky. They look light, fluffy, almost like cotton candy, and it’s hard to imagine them as heavy objects. But the truth is surprising: clouds are incredibly heavy. An average cumulus cloud can weigh around 1 million pounds! That impressive weight comes from the billions of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. So, how do they float? It’s because each droplet is extremely small and falls very slowly, while rising warm air currents help keep the cloud suspended above us.

Most of us have a rough image of the world map in our minds. But we have something to tell you: most maps aren’t completely accurate. Because the Earth is a sphere, cartographers have to distort some areas to represent it on a flat surface. On Mercator projection maps, countries near the poles appear much larger than they really are, while countries near the equator look smaller in comparison. For example, Alaska looks about the same size as Brazil, but in reality, Brazil is nearly five times larger!

Most people don’t realize that there’s actually a name for the color of the universe. Strange, right? But it’s true! Astronomers who studied the light from thousands of galaxies discovered that if you blend all the colors from the observable universe, the result is a soft, beige-ish white shade, famously named "Cosmic Latte" in 2002.

With 50 states, there’s no shortage of variety in their names. Almost every letter of the English alphabet appears at least once, except for one: Q, which is completely absent. In addition to this, there’s another surprisingly rare letter: J. While it isn’t entirely missing like Q, it only appears in one state, New Jersey.

Although we don’t notice it, indeed, the Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing. This happens because tidal friction, caused by the Moon’s gravitational pull on our oceans, creates a subtle drag on the planet’s spin. As a result, days are getting longer, but very gradually: by only about 1.7 milliseconds per century.

Do you remember your last dream? Whether good or bad, dreams are a constant part of sleep, but not everyone experiences them in the same way. Deaf people who use sign language in their daily lives often communicate through signs in their dreams, too. Meanwhile, blind people tend to have dreams rich in sounds, smells, and tactile sensations, using these other senses to experience the dream world.

We’re used to seeing hippos covered in mud, splashing in water, or barely peeking above the surface. But here’s a surprise: hippos can’t actually swim! That’s right. Because of their huge, heavy bodies, they don’t float or paddle like most animals. Instead, they walk or run along the riverbed.

Can your brain really "eat" itself? Well, close, but not exactly. There’s a process called phagocytosis, carried out by specialized immune cells in the brain known as microglia. These cells engulf and remove debris, dead cells, and other unwanted material. But don’t worry; it’s safe! The mechanisms exist to protect, repair, and maintain your brain.