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Moravian spice cookies are a traditional kind of cookie that originated in the Colonial American communities of the Moravian Church. The blend of spices and molasses, rolled paper thin, has a reputation as the "World's Thinnest Cookie". They are related to German Lebkuchen; original recipes can be traced back to the 17th century.

The cookie is especially popular around, and usually associated with, Christmas in communities with a strong Moravian background such as Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which still maintain the two largest Moravian communities in the United States. Although there are a few bakeries that still roll and cut the cookies by hand, some now use a mechanized process for making the cookies in order to meet the demand. While this does not affect the taste, the machine-made cookies have been criticized for not being as thin as their handmade counterparts.

While the spice recipe is the most traditional and well-known of the Moravian cookies, other versions have appeared over the years, including sugar, lemon, black walnut, and chocolate varieties.

References

1. "Moravian Spice Cookies". Wilkerson Moravian Bakery. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
2. "A Harte Appetite: Lebkuchen - The Mercedes Benz of Spice Cookies". KRCU Public Radio. 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
3. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Moravian Church Settlements (United States of America)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
4. Purvis, Kathleen (2019-10-27). "Our Sweetest Symbol: Moravian Cookies". Our State. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
5. "What Is a Moravian Cookie? | Dewey's Bakery". deweys.com. Retrieved 2024-05-20.

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