MARBLEHEAD – Massachusetts is known for its revolutionary history and in Marblehead the Joe Frogger cookie can be traced back to colonial times.
The Joe Frogger cookie
The molasses cookies were made by Lucretia Brown with some help from her husband Joseph. The couple is so beloved in the city that a school is named after them.
“It’s an amazing story about two people of color, one formerly enslaved, who raised themselves, bought real estate, were entrepreneurs and made a name for themselves that continues to this day,” said Lauren McCormack, 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 slave trader’s son. Brown and his wife operated their tavern in Marblehead, on the edge of a frog pond. Lucretia Brown’s cookies were so large they resembled lily pads on water, hence the name Joe Froggers.
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Their tavern on Gingerbread Hill was a popular spot for sailors and fishermen leaving Marblehead. They bought the cookies by the dozen to take with them 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 its history.
A Marblehead staple
“It’s a staple for every resident who has lived here,” one customer told WBZ-TV.
“Kids like them more than adults,” says Luisa Capasso, owner of the Muffin Shop. She believes the rum and spices make the cookie special.
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“Hopefully it lasts as long as possible. I hope it continues after we’re gone,” she told WBZ.
If you want to try making them yourself, the city of Marblehead has posted a recipe on their website.
