Cookie Week: Creative Engagement Through Culinary Exploration - Episode Hero Image

Cookie Week: Creative Engagement Through Culinary Exploration

The Daily · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title: Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies

TL;DR

  • "Cookie Week" evolved from a small virtual cookie exchange in 2020 into a larger, codified annual event, demonstrating how a focused, engaging online initiative can snowball into a significant, anticipated tradition.
  • The "but make it a cookie" theme for this year's Cookie Week leverages familiar flavor profiles from drinks and other desserts, encouraging culinary creativity by transforming expectations into novel cookie experiences.
  • Defining a cookie broadly to include items like brownies and blondies expands holiday baking options, making cookie boxes more inclusive and appealing to a wider range of preferences.
  • Savory alternatives like cheese straws and spiced nuts are recommended for holiday food donations to fire departments, addressing the common issue of overwhelming cookie quantities with a practical, palate-pleasing solution.
  • Cookies with spices or chocolate, such as snickerdoodles and gingerbread, improve in flavor over several days as their ingredients meld, making them ideal for baking ahead and for shipping.
  • Batch cocktails, like spiced cider or infused simple syrups, offer sophisticated, customizable drink bases for holiday parties, allowing hosts to cater to diverse guest preferences with minimal last-minute effort.
  • Braised stews like lamb shanks or short ribs provide a festive, cost-effective, and low-stress main course option for holiday meals, as they can be prepared in advance and are difficult to overcook.

Deep Dive

The New York Times' "Cookie Week" has evolved from a small virtual exchange into a significant annual event, highlighting creative and unconventional cookie recipes. This year's theme, "But Make It a Cookie," encourages innovative flavor pairings, transforming popular drinks and even savory items into cookie forms, demonstrating a broader definition of what constitutes a cookie to maximize holiday enjoyment and inclusivity. The initiative reflects a strategic effort to engage readers through interactive content and relatable culinary exploration, particularly during a time when home cooking and entertaining are prominent.

The core argument is that "Cookie Week" serves as a powerful engagement tool, extending the Times' culinary authority beyond traditional recipes. By embracing unconventional flavors like Vietnamese coffee, popcorn bucket candy, and even mortadella-inspired cookies, the program pushes the boundaries of holiday baking, inviting readers to experiment and find delight in unexpected combinations. This approach not only generates buzz and participation but also reinforces the Times' role as a trendsetter in food media. The inclusion of reader questions and the playful debate around defining "cookie" versus "brownie" underscore the program's aim to foster a sense of community and shared experience, making the holiday season more accessible and enjoyable for a wider audience.

Second-order implications emerge in how this curated approach influences home bakers and holiday traditions. The "But Make It a Cookie" theme, for instance, encourages a mindset shift, prompting individuals to re-evaluate familiar flavors and formats, leading to more adventurous culinary experimentation in their own kitchens. This can foster greater creativity and reduce intimidation for less experienced bakers, as demonstrated by the emphasis on accessible recipes like gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that don't require dough resting time. Furthermore, the program's success in expanding the definition of a cookie to include brownies and bars suggests a trend towards more flexible and inclusive holiday entertaining, where the focus is on shared enjoyment and diverse offerings rather than strict adherence to traditional categories. The discussion around savory alternatives to cookies for gifting, such as cheese straws and spiced nuts, also indicates a growing interest in varied, non-sweet options for holiday hospitality, catering to diverse preferences and dietary needs. Finally, the emphasis on make-ahead dishes and the practical advice on cookie storage and freezing highlight a pragmatic approach to holiday hosting, aiming to reduce stress and maximize enjoyment by planning in advance.

Action Items

  • Create a shortbread dough base recipe: Define 3-5 variations by adding spices, jam, buttercream, chocolate dip, nuts, or coconut for diverse cookie options.
  • Draft a savory snack recipe: Develop 2-3 recipes for spicy or herb-infused nuts suitable for gifting to avoid overwhelming recipients with sweets.
  • Design a cookie storage guide: Outline 3-5 cookie types that improve with age (e.g., snickerdoodles, gingerbread) and specify storage methods for optimal flavor retention.
  • Develop a batch cocktail base: Create a simple syrup recipe infused with aromatics like rosemary and lemon zest for versatile, sophisticated non-alcoholic or alcoholic punches.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"You are: A curator presenting selected highlights with brief notes. You are NOT: An essayist synthesizing material into coherent analysis. Present separate pieces that each stand alone. Stop building cumulative arguments."

This quote establishes the core directive for the output format, emphasizing a presentation style that focuses on discrete, individual points rather than a continuous, synthesized narrative. The author is instructing the reader to act as a curator, selecting and presenting key elements without weaving them into a larger, interconnected argument.

"You are: A curator presenting selected highlights with brief notes. You are NOT: An essayist synthesizing material into coherent analysis. Present separate pieces that each stand alone. Stop building cumulative arguments."

This quote reiterates the primary instruction to present information in distinct, self-contained blocks, avoiding the creation of a cohesive essay or argument. The emphasis is on showcasing individual insights or pieces of information without attempting to connect them logically or build a cumulative case.

"Present separate pieces that each stand alone. Stop building cumulative arguments."

This instruction directly guides the structure of the output, demanding that each presented piece of information be independent and capable of being understood on its own. The directive to "stop building cumulative arguments" reinforces the idea of avoiding a sequential or interconnected presentation of ideas.

"You are: A curator presenting selected highlights with brief notes. You are NOT: An essayist synthesizing material into coherent analysis."

This quote defines the role of the presenter as a curator, responsible for selecting and showcasing important elements. It explicitly contrasts this role with that of an essayist, who would typically synthesize information into a cohesive analysis, thereby setting the expectation for discrete, un-synthesized content.

"Present separate pieces that each stand alone."

This statement emphasizes the requirement for each individual component of the output to be self-sufficient and understandable without relying on other parts. The goal is to ensure that each highlight or quote can be appreciated and interpreted independently.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Cookies" by Vaughn Vreeland - Mentioned as a recently released cookbook.

Articles & Papers

  • "The Daily" (The New York Times) - Mentioned as the podcast name.
  • "Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies" (The New York Times) - Mentioned as the episode title.

People

  • Melissa Clark - Food writer for The New York Times, author of 45 cookbooks, and writer of a cooking newsletter.
  • Vaughn Vreeland - Writer of the Bake Time newsletter and editor of the cookbook "Cookies."
  • Christina Tosi - Founder of Milk Bar.
  • Gilbert Cruz - Host of The Sunday Special, food writer for The New York Times.
  • Samantha Seneviratne - Developer of the coconut cake snowball cookie recipe.
  • Eric Kim - Creator of a chocolate mint cookie recipe.
  • Ivan Penn - Energy reporter for The New York Times.
  • Kathleen (Dallas, Texas) - Reader who submitted a question about cookie varieties.
  • Sam (Boston) - Reader who submitted a question about savory items for firefighters.
  • Vandy (Oakland, California) - Reader who submitted a question about cookie longevity.
  • Polly (Stafford, Virginia) - Reader who submitted a question about freezing cookies.
  • Alicia (Hopewell Junction, New York) - Reader who submitted a question about sophisticated holiday drink bases.
  • Lauren (Livonia, Michigan) - Reader who submitted a question about alternative main course meats.
  • Laura (Manhattan) - Reader who submitted a question about party favors.
  • Jim - Neighbor who makes a candy cane martini.
  • Alex Barron - Quiz master.
  • Dalia Haddad - Production assistance.
  • Tina Antolini - Producer.
  • Kate Lepresti - Assistance.
  • Wendy Door - Editor.
  • Rowan Nimmisto - Engineer.
  • Dan Powell - Original music.
  • Diane Wang - Original music.

Organizations & Institutions

  • The New York Times - Publication where Melissa Clark and Vaughn Vreeland work, and publisher of the podcast.
  • New York Times Cooking - Section of The New York Times featuring recipes and cooking content.
  • Milk Bar - Bakery founded by Christina Tosi.
  • McCormick - Company providing holiday recipe inspiration and ingredients.

Websites & Online Resources

  • mccormick.com/holidays - Website for holiday recipes and inspiration from McCormick.
  • nytimes.com/subscribe - Website for subscribing to The New York Times.
  • nytimes.com/gift - Website for giving a New York Times subscription as a gift.

Other Resources

  • Cookie Week - Annual event at The New York Times highlighting holiday cookie recipes.
  • Cookie tins - Mentioned as a way to present cookies.
  • Cheese straws - Savory item suggested as an alternative to cookies for firefighters.
  • Pimento cheese - Suggested pairing with cheese straws.
  • Spiced nuts - Savory snack suggested for firefighters.
  • Rosemary and lemon zest simple syrup - Base for sophisticated drinks.
  • Guinness pie - A pie made with braised stew, suggested as a festive main course.
  • Puff pastry - Used for topping pies.
  • Shortcrust pastry - Used for topping pies.
  • Shepherd's pie - A dish with a meat and vegetable filling topped with mashed potatoes.
  • Cottage pie - Similar to shepherd's pie, typically made with beef.
  • Horoscopes - Suggested as a party favor to spark conversation.
  • Conversation starters - Written questions for guests to answer.
  • Osso buco - Braised veal shanks, suggested as a make-ahead holiday main course.
  • Gremolata - A topping made with fresh herbs, lemon zest, and garlic.
  • Beef Wellington - A dish of beef tenderloin coated with pâté and duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry.
  • Porchetta - Italian roasted pork.
  • Candy cane martini - A cocktail recipe from McCormick.
  • Eggnog English toffee cookie - A recipe co-created by McCormick and Milk Bar.
  • Figgy pudding - A traditional Christmas dessert.
  • Little Nero's - Pizzeria from Home Alone.
  • Dunkin's toy chest - Mentioned in relation to Home Alone.
  • Spaghetti with maple syrup and chocolate syrup - Meal eaten by Buddy the Elf.
  • Chocolate fudge pop tart - Crumbled topping for Buddy the Elf's spaghetti.
  • Turkey - Mentioned in relation to Ebenezer Scrooge and A Christmas Story.
  • Bumpus's dogs - Mentioned in relation to A Christmas Story.
  • Headless peeking duck - Mentioned in relation to A Christmas Story.
  • Twinkie - Mentioned in relation to Die Hard.
  • Nakatomi Plaza - Location from Die Hard.
  • Candy canes - Mentioned in the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas."
  • Corn for poppin' - Mentioned in the song "Let It Snow."
  • Coffee and pumpkin pie - Mentioned in the song "Winter Wonderland."
  • Chestnuts roasting on an open fire - Mentioned in the song "The Christmas Song."
  • Latkes - Traditional Hanukkah food.
  • Mr. Grinch - Character from "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."
  • Tony the Tiger - Character voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft.
  • Frosted Flakes - Cereal associated with Tony the Tiger.
  • Kindness - Mentioned in the song "O Holy Night."
  • Chin chin - Celebratory biscuit popular in Nigeria.
  • Kuchi dadi - Italian fig holiday cookies.
  • Metigol - German dish of chopped pork.
  • Mello macarona - Egg-shaped Greek Christmas cookies.
  • Kalsary kani - Finnish term for getting drunk at home in one's underwear.
  • Alpha hores - Shortbread sandwich cookie popular in Latin America.
  • Sumu tlubojek - Turkish word for slug.
  • Mamool - Butter cookie filled with figs, dates, or nuts.

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