Alabama now has an official state cookie.

The “Yellowhammer Cookie” was signed into legislation by Governor Kay Ivey a few days ago, the pecan, peanut butter, and honey concoction created by a Mary Claire Cook, a fourth grader at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery who collaborated with her grandmother in coming up with the recipe.

As an aside, the cookie is named for the state’s nickname,  the “Yellowhammer State” which comes from the American Civil War.  A group of soldiers from Alabama were called Yellowhammers because of the yellow pieces of cloth decorating their uniforms that resembled the colorings of a small bird known as the Yellowhammer. Over time, all Confederate soldiers from Alabama were called Yellowhammers, and after the war, Alabama became known unofficially as the Yellowhammer State.

For Mary Cook’s fourth grade class, quintessential Alabama was best represented by pecans from Mobile and Baldwin counties, nuts from the Dothan area, and oats from Central Alabama. Alabama also has a state amphibian (the Red Hills Salamander), a state rock (marble), and a state spirit (Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey). In fact, there are eight official state animals of Alabama, but no state dog.

It’s not that there aren’t possibilities. There are those who feel that the Black Mouth Cur would fit the bill since the breed likely descended from the Southern Black Mouth Cur originating in Alabama. Others support the nomination of the Redbone Coonhound not only because of Alabama’s famous Coondog Cemetery, but also in honor of “Stuckie” (warning, we found Stuckie story to be very sad).

In 2022, Orvis News opined that because the Beagle is the most popular breed in Alabama as both as a hunting companion and a family pet, it is the best breed for the state (Orvis named the Pointer as runner up because of Alabama’s quail hunting tradition). Other sources write that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in Alabama, but either way, the Dachshund is the most searched for breed on-line by Alabamans.

Nor has Alabama been bereft of dogs in any official capacity. Back in 1894, football players from the University of Alabama found a “fine English Bulldog” on the street and adopted it as its mascot. A crowd of 300, including the dog they named “Pat,” saw Alabama beat Sewanee (University of the South) 24-4.  Seven years later, a one-paragraph story in the April 19, 1921 issue of the Tuscaloosa News reported that Pat, “mascot of the University,” had passed away after having “given so much pleasure to the students of the University.”  In the years since, it is not a dog that has been the school mascot, but “Big Al,” an elephant.

It’s hardly surprising that NPDD thinks every state should have an official state breed. Naming shelter and rescue dogs as state pets is magnanimous and a “feel-good” proposition (Delaware just named “rescue dogs” as the state’s official dog, while New York’s State Dog is “working dogs,” and New Jersey’s official State Dog is the “Seeing Eye dog”) but there is an argument to be made that by overlooking a dog breed entrenched in a state’s history, one ignores the legacy of the people of the state who created the breed for a reason, if not dismissing the impact the breed has had on the state.

If your own state was to name an official State Dog, what breed would be the logical choice?

And how would you go about doing it?

It’s not a quick and easy process because choosing an official state symbol involves the legislative process. State symbols always have a connection to the state in some way, whether it’s historical or cultural, and a case must be made with facts. Once armed with data, a good way to get the ball rolling is to contact local legislators to learn if they would be willing to sponsor such a bill (it’s how we got National Purebred Dog Day passed in the State of Colorado).  Local representatives are keen to have the support (and votes) of their constituents, and it’s important to be patient but relentless because legislators are busy. Sometimes, they also have the support of well funded animal rights groups that oppose naming a specific breed as a State Dog, in part because doing so tacitly supports breeders. A win/win work-around is to get school students interested in naming a dog breed as the official State Dog. It’s not a good look for a legislator to dismiss school children (and future voters) who, as a rule, aren’t interested in political sides, but love dogs. Kids learn how the legislative process works, and a dog breed gets the recognition it’s due.

If you were to name a breed as your own state’s logical choice for Official State Dog, what would it be?

As you ponder this, we leave you with Mary Claire Cook’s recipe:

Yellowhammer Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies

COOKIES:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 24 pecan halves

FILLING:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter

BAKING AND ASSEMBLY:

1. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour mixture and stir well.
3. Add oats and continue beating until well mixed.
4. Cover and refrigerate dough for two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Form dough into 48 1-1/2 inch balls and flatten. Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place a pecan half on 24 of the cookies, which will become the top of the finished treat.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.
8. Make the filling: Mix peanut butter, honey, butter and powdered sugar and beat to combine, about three minutes.
9. Spread filling between two cookies, topping with the pecan-topped halves and sandwich together.

Top image generated by DALL·E