What is a Joe Frogger cookie and why is it such a big deal in Marblehead, Massachusetts?
MARBLEHEAD - Massachusetts is known for its revolutionary history and in Marblehead, the Joe Frogger cookie can be traced back to colonial times.
The molasses cookies were created by Lucretia Brown with some help from her husband Joseph. The couple are so cherished in town they have a school named after them.
The Joe Frogger cookie
"It's an amazing story of two people of color, one formerly enslaved, who brought themselves up, bought property, were entrepreneurs and made a name for themselves that survives to this day," said Lauren McCormack, the executive director of the Marblehead Museum.
Joseph Brown was enslaved in Rhode Island. He became a free man when he served in the Revolutionary War in the place of his enslaver's son. Brown and his wife operated their tavern in Marblehead on the edge of a frog pond. Lucretia Brown's cookies were so big they resembled the lily pads on top of the water, hence the name, Joe Froggers.
Their tavern on Gingerbread Hill was a popular spot for sailors and fishermen who were heading out of Marblehead. They would buy the cookies by the dozens to bring on the ships because they lasted a long time and reminded them of home.
At the Muffin Shop on Washington Street in Marblehead, customers love the cookie and know the history of it.
A Marblehead staple
"It's a staple for any resident who's lived here," one customer told WBZ-TV.
"Kids like them more than the adults," said Muffin Shop owner Luisa Capasso. She believes the rum and spices make the cookie special.
"Hopefully it stays for the longest time as possible. I hope it continues after we are gone," she told WBZ.
If you'd like to try to make them yourself, the town of Marblehead has posted a recipe on their website.
