Taste Trendsetters: First Ladies In The Kitchen

A Friendly Competition

While the winners of the competition don’t necessarily predict the outcome of the actual presidential election, it does indicate which First Lady can make a better cookie. For the 1992 and 1996 elections, Hillary Clinton’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies won both times, dominating Barbara Bush’s chocolate chip cookie and Elizabeth Dole’s Pecan Roll Cookies.

Since then, we’ve seen a wide range of cookies showcased in the competition. In 2000, Tipper Gore’s gingersnaps went up against Laura Bush’s Texas Cowboy Cookies. Four years later, Laura Bush took a nod from Hillary and submitted a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chunks, while Teresa Heinz-Kerry submitted a recipe for Pumpkin Spice cookies.

Melania’s First Steps

For the 2016 Presidential Election, Family Circle altered the competition name to the Presidential Cookie Poll, since it was no longer a competition against first ladies. Since Hillary Clinton was now a presidential candidate, husband Bill Clinton was set to be the First Man or First Husband. His submission was a reprisal of Hillary’s 1992 cookie, which was aptly renamed the Clinton Family’s Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Melania Trump submitted a recipe for her “Star Cookies,” which is a simple sugar cookie that is made with sour cream. Bill Clinton’s submission won, proving the tried and true success of Hillary’s original cookie recipe. But still, Trump won the election and if Melania’s cookie recipe is any indication of her taste, America will be watching to see how she will affect the White House kitchen and America’s food trends.