Derived from the Dutch koekje, meaning little cake, the cookie came over with the first ships to New Amsterdam, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, it never went home. Cookies are as American as apple pie, and yet in just the same way they are found the world over, in almost every cuisine. The Germans and Austrians bake some of the best cookies of all, redolent with ginger and anise, poppy seed, and nutmeg, and occasionally coated with dark, luscious chocolate. These were famous as Christmas treats, and they have been made since medieval times, when merchants traveled to the very farthest reaches of the known world to bring back rare spices. But England became the heartland of the biscuit in the 19th century with relatively plain and delicately flavored cakes, baked to a particularly crisp texture, becoming very popular. The biscuit became the natural partner of the English cup of tea, and, since 1870, it has been sold in literally hundreds of mixtures and shapes. At Christmas, English biscuits are still sold as valued gifts in cheerfully decorated airtight tins, which keep the contents crisp throughout the holidays. rectangles or squares, plain or sandwiched with bean paste, or twisted to hold a little good luck sign, now adapted by America as Fortune Cookies. Spanish and Portuguese bakers turn out platters of tiny delicacies for a late breakfast and for afternoon coffee; little biscuity tarts of lemon curd and honey, tiny filled cookies with coffee cream or praline icing, and pinwheel slices of vanilla and orange. And finally, the American cookie - its name Dutch, its texture more cakey than its English counterparts, its strong flavors with a heavy emphasis on chocolate and various nuts, its chewy, satisfying mouthful. We have borrowed recipes from the world that are now uniquely American and there are cookies made in every region and every state, almost in every town and city.