Cookies & Commanders

​The holidays are here, and we can almost hear the bells jingling and the crunch of cookies. (Is there anything better than a Christmas cookie to bring people together?) Whether you’re loading up the break room with treats to share, or simply enjoying a cookie with your team, sweet treats have a magical way of turning even the toughest co-worker into someone more human. So, in the spirit of the season, we’ve dug through history to find some lighthearted stories about our nation’s Presidents and their favorite desserts.

​​George Washington and his Christmas Jumbals

Imagine it: the storied halls of Mount Vernon, where George Washington, that resolute commander, was caught sneaking a cookie! Martha Washington’s famous jumbals, tiny cookies speckled with caraway seeds, were a Christmas favorite at Mount Vernon, and her husband couldn’t resist their charm. Legend has it that on one winter evening, he caught a whiff of the freshly baked treats and—without a second thought—snatched one off the cooling rack. "These cookies are worth any revolution," he reportedly said with a wink. ​

Martha Washington’s Jumbals:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar (Or Swerve, if you’re sugar free)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp ground caraway seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Mix ingredients, roll into small balls, and bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. 
​

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Icebox Cookies

​Franklin D. Roosevelt, known for his fireside chats and thoughtful leadership during the Great Depression, had another great love: icebox cookies. These cookies were a simple but comforting treat, made from ingredients most families could afford, even during the Great Depression. Eleanor Roosevelt often caught Franklin sneaking into the kitchen to grab a few for a late-night snack, always with a playful grin.

Recipe for Icebox Cookies:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (Or Swerve, if you’re sugar free)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix ingredients, shape dough into a log and chill for at least an hour before slicing into rounds. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Abraham Lincoln and His Gingerbread Men

​Long before Abraham Lincoln saved the Union, gave the Gettysburg Address, or signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law, he had a soft spot for gingerbread men. Back in his Kentucky childhood, his mother baked these spicy, fragrant cookies whenever she had a little extra grocery money, and they became a nostalgic treat for Honest Abe. The story goes that while campaigning, Lincoln joked with a difficult crowd about how much he loved gingerbread cookies, saying, “If I had a choice, I’d choose them over any of the speeches I’ve given!” The joke worked, softening the crowd, and he continued without heckling.

Recipe for Gingerbread Men:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 cup brown sugar (Or brown sugar Swerve - for sugar free)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses

Roll out dough, cut into shapes, bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
​Fun Fact: In Lincoln’s day, rather than using cookie cutters, the dough would have been rolled into snakes, then made into “men” by twisting a snake with a loop on top to form a head and legs, then placing a smaller snake sideways beneath the loop for arms. 

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Cowboy Cookies

Lyndon B. Johnson had a big personality—and a big appetite to match. Known for his down-to-earth charm, LBJ loved cowboy cookies, a sweet treat filled with oats, chocolate chips, and pecans hearty enough for any Texan. At the LBJ Ranch, he’d share these cookies with visitors, always with a wink and a joke. “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” he’d say, “even the cookies!”

Recipe for Cowboy Cookies:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (Or Swerve, if you’re sugar free)
• 1 cup brown sugar (Or brown sugar Swerve)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Ronald Reagan and the Jelly Bean Cookies

​Ronald Reagan didn’t just love jelly beans—he made them famous. So naturally, he had his own special jelly bean cookie, where sweet little jelly beans were folded right into sugar cookie dough. Reagan would serve these cookies to guests, sometimes cracking jokes about how the jelly beans made the cookies “extra presidential.”

Recipe for Jelly Bean Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (Or Swerve, if you’re sugar free)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup jelly beans

Mix ingredients, folding in jelly beans.
​Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

We hope these stories have reminded you of the power of simple pleasures, whether it’s enjoying a cookie with a colleague or sharing a lighthearted moment in the midst of a busy season. Leadership is about more than just big decisions—it’s all the small acts that make people feel valued. We hope you try these recipes and share your own stories. We wish you a holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and of course, plenty of cookies!