Quaker Oats marks 100 year anniversary of distinctive packaging

One hundred years ago, Quaker Oats owner Henry Crowell dreamed up a new way to package oatmeal.

Crowell had purchased a struggling oat mill business in Ravenna, Ohio, along with the Quaker trademark. According to historian Andrew F. Smith's book, 'Eating History: 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine,' canned foods were all the rage in 1915, and Crowell noticed the growing popularity of colorful, conveniently sized packaging. He combined the ideas and began selling his oats in the distinctive round cardboard cartons still popular today.

The Quaker Oats canister was a far cry from how oats traditionally were sold — in the 1850s, shoppers scooped their oats from 180-pound barrels. Quaker Oats became the first trademarked breakfast cereal in the United States in 1877. In the mid-1880s, the company began offering oats in 2-pound paper boxes printed with preparation instructions and the distinctive trademark image of a smiling Quaker man.

Most Americans didn't know what to do with oats beyond boiling them for breakfast, however, and so Quaker Oats began another innovation, printing recipes on its packaging. In 1891, a recipe for Oatmeal Bread, appeared. The first oatmeal cookie recipe was printed on a box in 1908, for Oatmeal Cakes.

Today, the Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., produces approximately 120 million canisters a year from its Cedar Rapids plant and delivers more than 350 million pounds of oatmeal annually.

The cookie recipes have come a long way since 1908. The company's test kitchen is busy coming up with new recipes all the time, and they shared a few holiday favorites, found below.

For this story, Gazette staff baked the Holiday Cookie Surprises, round oatmeal cookies with — spoiler alert! — pieces of candy tucked inside. We made them bigger than necessary — instead of 48 cookies, the recipe yielded 13. Because they were larger, we added about 10 minutes to the suggested cooking time. Find video of our efforts above or at thegazette.com/living.

Recipes

HOLIDAY COOKIE SURPRISES

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Approximately 48 assorted bite-size candies

Colored sugar or candy sprinkles

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, oats and salt; mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Press desired candy piece into center of each ball; shape dough around candy so it is completely hidden. Roll cookies in colored sugar or candy sprinkles until evenly coated. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 48 cookies.

VANISHING OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

14 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 48 cookies.

OATMEAL GINGERBREAD COOKIES

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Ready-to-spread frosting

Assorted candies

Beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Add combined flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt; mix well. Cover; chill about 2 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. On floured surface, roll dough out about 1/4-inch thick for a chewy cookie or 1/8-inch thick for a crisp cookie. Cut with 5-inch gingerbread man or woman cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost and decorate cookies with candies. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Makes about 20 five-inch cookies.

HOLIDAY GRANOLA

4 cups Quaker Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

6-ounces dried cranberries (about 1 1/3 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except cranberries in large bowl; mix well. Spread evenly in 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan. Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove granola from oven; stir in cranberries. Cool completely in pan. Store tightly covered up to 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups.

Source: Quaker Oats