Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily – Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies

Episode Date: December 7, 2025
Host: Gilbert Cruz
Guests: Melissa Clark (NYT food columnist, cookbook author), Vaughn Vreeland (Bake Time newsletter and "Cookies" cookbook editor)
Theme: Celebrating Cookie Week and Holiday Entertaining

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Overview

This episode celebrates The New York Times’ Cookie Week, diving into the origins and evolution of Cookie Week, creative holiday cookie recipes, and practical tips for holiday baking and entertaining. Host Gilbert Cruz is joined by food writers Melissa Clark and Vaughn Vreeland for a warm, humorous, and informative discussion—complete with live cookie tasting and a riotous holiday food-themed quiz.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Cookie Week?

[02:10–04:16]

• Origins: Started in 2020 as a way to connect people virtually during an isolated holiday season. It began with home-filmed cookie exchanges and evolved into an annual tradition.
• Highlights: Every year, seven new original cookies are featured, each with a unique spin, often blending unexpected inspirations like cocktails or savory foods.
• Vaughn’s Role: Acts as the “MC behind the scenes, pulling the strings…a purveyor of fun. That’s what baking is. That’s what cookies are. They’re fun.” (Vreeland, 04:04)

2. Creative Cookie Themes & This Year's Highlights

[04:24–14:10]

• 2025 Theme: “But Make It a Cookie”—transforming familiar foods and flavors into cookies, e.g., gingerbread latte cookies, popcorn bucket cookies, and mortadella (salume-inspired) cookies.
• Notable Cookies:
  • Melissa’s Vietnamese Coffee Brownie: Espresso and sweetened condensed milk in a fudgy bar (not everyone agrees if brownies are cookies—see the good-natured debate!).
  • Vaughn’s Popcorn Bucket Cookie: Cookie infused with butter, rolled in popcorn and filled with candy. “My, I would say, childhood dream, but also my 32-year-old dream…customize [it] with whatever candy you want.” (Vreeland, 08:15)
  • Mortadella Cookie: Features freeze-dried strawberries, almond paste, pistachios, and macadamia nuts—playfully resembles the Italian sausage.
  • Coconut Cake Snowballs: Mini coconut cakes inspired by Hostess snowballs.
  • Payday Cookies: Salty peanut-caramel, inspired by the Payday candy bar.
  • Chocolate Mint Bark (by Eric Kim): Reminiscent of the Andes mints left on hotel pillows.
  • Dark & Stormy Cookie: Ginger with rum-lime glaze, “actually really…pretty rummy.” (Vreeland, 13:12)

3. Cookie Debates & Definitions

[05:28–07:47]

• What counts as a cookie?
  • Debate: Is a brownie or lemon bar a cookie?
  • Melissa: “I think brownies are absolutely cookies… we need a nice broad definition.” (Clark, 06:07)
  • Vaughn: “If a blondie is a cookie, then why can’t a brownie be a cookie?” (Vreeland, 07:15)
• Visual Variety: Including bars and brownies in cookie tins elevates interest and delight.

4. Baking Fails & Fun Moments

[09:27–10:08]

• Vaughn recalls baking with gummy bears: “It was the tenth circle of hell in my oven. I opened it up and it was smoky…The gummy bears were revolting!” (Vreeland, 09:51, 10:04)

5. Gluten-Free Cookie Tasting

[14:12–16:15]

• Melissa brings gluten-free chocolate chip cookies for Gilbert, who has celiac disease.
• Recipe uses almond flour: “They’re so easy…the almond flour…makes them very tender.” (Clark, 15:19)
• Vaughn: “A fantastic recipe…you can bake right away for instant gratification.” (Vreeland, 15:32, 15:45)

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Reader Q&A: Holiday Baking & Entertaining

[18:07–34:39]

Versatile Doughs

[18:42]

• Melissa suggests making a large batch of shortbread or gingerbread dough, then flavoring and shaping it in multiple ways: “Add flavor and then you wanna change the shape. Visually, your cookies need to look different, and they need to taste different.” (Clark, 19:22)

Savory Alternatives to Cookies

[20:16]

• Vaughn: “Cheese straws…add a little cayenne…pair with pimento cheese.”
• Melissa: “Spiced nuts…with rosemary, lemon zest, and good salt.” (Clark, 20:54)

How to Make Cookies Last

[21:25–22:56]

• Vaughn: “Store in an airtight container…snickerdoodles with cream of tartar actually get better on day two or three.”
• Melissa: “Chocolate chip cookies are just amazing on day one…gluten-free lasts longer. Spice cookies and gingerbread keep the best.” (Clark, 23:09)

Freezing Cookies

[24:18–24:57]

• Melissa: “Airtight containers with parchment between layers. Most cookies freeze well—except meringues.”
• Vaughn tip: Crumple the parchment—it protects cookies during freezing or shipping.

Festive, Inclusive Holiday Drinks

[26:08–29:32]

• Batch cocktail tips: “Cider with warming spices and citrus; spike as desired.” (Vreeland, 26:43)
• Melissa: “Infuse simple syrup with rosemary and lemon zest…mix with seltzer for a sophisticated non-alcoholic drink.” (Clark, 27:12)

Main Dishes that Aren’t Ham or Turkey

[30:02–31:32]

• Melissa: “Stews or braises like lamb shanks or short ribs—make ahead, low stress, can’t overcook.”
• Vaughn: “Turn it into a Guinness pie or shepherd’s pie for a festive touch.”

Conversation-Sparking Party Favors

[31:56–32:56]

• Melissa: “Daily horoscopes tailored to each guest.”
• Vaughn: “Conversation starter questions on festive paper.”

Holiday Meal Plans

[33:11–34:39]

• Melissa: Osso buco with gremolata made ahead; wishes for a citrus subscription.
• Vaughn: Melissa’s beef Wellington is now his family’s traditional holiday centerpiece.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I’m the MC behind the scenes, pulling the strings. That’s my job: to be a purveyor of fun. That’s what baking is. That’s what cookies are. They’re fun.”
– Vaughn Vreeland, [04:04]

“We need a nice, broad definition [of cookie]…If you want to have Cookie Week and you want to include brownies, it’s going to make more people happy. Therefore, it is a cookie.”
– Melissa Clark, [06:48 and 07:52]

“It was the tenth circle of hell in my oven…the gummy bears were revolting.”
– Vaughn Vreeland, [09:51–10:04]

“Chocolate chip cookies are just amazing on day one. Gluten free chocolate chip cookies, however, last a lot longer.”
– Melissa Clark, [22:56]

“Cider with lots of warming spices…you just have people spike it as they like. That’s a fun way of creating something that pleases all sorts of drinkers.”
– Vaughn Vreeland, [26:41]

“Airtight container with layers of parchment between the cookies…they freeze perfectly. Most cookies really do freeze pretty well.”
– Melissa Clark, [24:18]

“I don’t like to cook ‘à la minute’ for anybody except my husband. I want to do it ahead.”
– Melissa Clark, [30:42]

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Game Segment: Holiday Food & Cookies Quiz

[36:06–45:38]

Highlights

• Three rounds:
  • Holiday meals from movies (e.g., Kevin McAllister’s cheese pizza, Buddy the Elf’s spaghetti with candy)
  • Christmas song food references (e.g., “candy canes,” “latkes,” “chestnuts”)
  • Cookie vs. not-a-cookie (“chin chin,” “mamoul,” Finnish word for drinking at home in underwear)
• Vaughn wins the trophy (“the Gildy”) for his encyclopedic holiday knowledge and playful banter.

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Final Thoughts

• The cookie exchange and baking season are about joy, creativity, and bringing people together—virtually or in person.
• Cookie Week “extends beyond December 1st through 7th…celebrate it all year long.” (Vaughn, 46:22)
• It’s a “cookie month”—embrace fun, traditions, and experimentation in holiday baking.
• Melissa concludes: “Thanks for having us. This was so much fun. Loved it.” (Clark, 46:35)

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[Timestamps of Key Segments]

• [02:10] What is Cookie Week, its origins and evolution
• [04:24] This year’s theme and featured cookies
• [05:28] Cookie definitions debate
• [09:27] Baking fails (gummy bears)
• [14:12] Gluten free cookie tasting
• [18:42] Reader Q&A: Versatile doughs
• [20:16] Q&A: Savory alternatives for gifts
• [21:25] Q&A: Which cookies last, how to store
• [24:18] Q&A: Freezing cookies
• [26:08] Q&A: Festive inclusive drinks
• [30:02] Q&A: Alternatives for main dishes
• [31:56] Q&A: Party favors & conversation
• [33:11] What guests are making for the holidays
• [36:06] Holiday quiz segment starts

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For NYT recipes and cookie inspiration, visit NYT Cooking and subscribe for more episodes celebrating the best of food, community, and holiday traditions.

Transcript

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[Christina Tosi]

Hey, it's Christina Tosi. I'm the founder of the Bakery Milk Bar. Listen, every chef starts somewhere. And like many others, my love for baking started at home in my childhood kitchen. Those little red McCormick spice containers take bakers like me back to the early days to trying new things and inspiring new flavors. Listen for the next ad break to hear the festive recipe that McCormick and Milk Bar are cooking up this holiday season and learn [e-mail] holiday.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Welcome, everyone, to the Sunday special. I'm Gilbert Cruz.

The holidays are upon us, and that means so many people are doing a lot of cooking and baking and hosting parties, all of that fun stuff. Here at the New York Times, it's Cookie Week. We all love cookies. Cookies are great. Cookies are wonderful. I personally can only eat gluten free ones, which is probably why I just never realized what a big deal Cookie Week was around here, or frankly, even what it was. My guests today are two people who think a lot about cookies, of course, but also about holiday baking and cooking and entertaining because it's their job to do so. Melissa Clark and the and Von Vreeland. Melissa Clark has been writing about food for the times for almost 20 years. She has a weekly column. She writes one of our cooking newsletters. And is it true I read this in your bio? Have you written 45 cookbooks?

[Melissa Clark]

That is true.

[Gilbert Cruz]

45.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. You know, cookbooks are a volume business.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, Yep. Maybe we'll get into that. I didn't know that was possible. Welcome, Melissa.

[Melissa Clark]

Thank you. So great to be here.

[Gilbert Cruz]

And Vaughn Vreeland writes the Bake Time newsletter. He is also the editor of a new cookbook just out this fall, titled simply Cookies.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Cookies.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Vaughn, welcome.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Thank you. I'm so excited to be here.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm very excited for what we're gonna do here, which is to talk about Cookie Week and also to eat some cookies.

So let's start with the basics. Tell us about Cookie Week.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Cookie Week. Okay. So in 2020, we were kind of figuring out ways of bringing people together, and we were kind of thinking, you know, holidays people might feel very isolated. How are we gonna ultimately try to have something where people feel very engaged online? And we decided to host a virtual cookie exchange. It was at first a small kind of handheld operation where everybody was just filming themselves in their own apartments or their homes making cookies that meant a lot to them. And then the next year, we invited people back to our studio for year two. And then it just kind of snowballed. Pardon the awful pun. But into this thing that was just bigger than itself.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, well, I mean, cookies have always been part of our holiday coverage, because you can't do the holidays without doing cookies. We've done cookie boxes, we've done cookie swaps. We have done reader cookies. But then in 2020, we decided to really codify it and make it a thing and a celebratory thing, and it's taken off and it's just so. Because it's something that people look forward to every year. What are the New York Times cookies going to be for Cookie Week?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

And while we celebrate all the cookies that we have in our database, we also have seven specific cookies, one that we highlight every single day.

[Gilbert Cruz]

And you, Vaughn, are like the. Are you the organizer, the emcee of this all? Like, what is that?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, I would say now I'm more so the MC kind of the.

[Gilbert Cruz]

What are your responsibilities as mc?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Well, we have some live events that we do, apart from that kind of the planning phases, trying to figure out, you know, is there a theme this year? Like, who do we want to be involved in this? It's a lot of. I feel like I'm the MC in Cabaret, where I'm just like, I'm behind the scenes pulling the strings.

[Melissa Clark]

But you have your own number.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yes, that's true.

[Melissa Clark]

You do have your own number.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

And I'm causing chaos, of course. But yeah, so I think that that's kind of. That's my job is just to, like, you know, be a purveyor of fun. That's what baking is. That's what cookies are. They're fun.

[Gilbert Cruz]

The Cabaret MC is very creepy. I'm not getting creepy vibes from you today.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Well, it depends on playing it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is true.

[Melissa Clark]

That is true.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So was there a theme for the cookies this year?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yes, this year our theme was but make it a cookie. So we. The last few years have been just kind of trying to, like, identify themes that have really jumped out at us for what cookies are popular with people. Seems like a lot of times we have these flavor profiles that people might not necessarily associate with the cookie. Right. Like a drink turned into a cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. And you've done a lot of that. Yeah.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

So we. We. I think not to toot my own horn or anything like that, but I think that those cookies, a lot of times people, they're like, oh, I didn't realize that we could have a gingerbread latte. But as a cookie. So this year we kind of ran with that theme a little bit.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. And it's a Good way. It's also a good way to get people. I mean, you know, we're using the same flavors. You know, there's only a limited number of flavors you can really use in a cookie. But we're spinning it a little different. And that makes it more fun, I think. Cause it's like a gingerbread latte cookie. So it's adding a little bit of coffee to a gingerbread. Right. So that's a fun twist. And then calling it latte makes it really fun. Just takes it up a notch.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Well, speaking of. I mean, your cookie this year, really, I was, like, so pleasantly surprised when I tasted that cookie. Well, it's not even really a cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, wait. There's a big. We have a debate here. This is a big debate in the cookie world is. Okay, here's a question. Should we put it to Gilbert? Is a brownie a cookie? I mean, this is really important.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

[Melissa Clark]

Exactly. Exactly. It's a cookie edition.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Well, when I saw your recipe, my first question was, oh, brownies or cookies? Now, I have not come to a conclusion on it, but I'd love to hear what the debate was about. Your. Well, tell us about your quote cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

I'm going with. I think brownies are absolutely cookie. Well, first of all, cookies. I feel like we need a nice, broad definition. Especially around the holidays, when you're making a cookie box, you want as many options as possible. So brownies are in, blondies are in. And the cookie that I did this year is a Vietnamese coffee brownie. So it has the flavors of Vietnamese coffee. So it's got that espresso. You want a bitter espresso. And then you want the contrast of sweetened condensed milk. And it's both of those things in a brownie. And it's such an. I mean, if you think about those flavors, they work really well together. And then putting it in a brownie form with that chew and the little, you know, crunchy edges, it's so good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, can I. I feel like you're slightly avoiding the cookie as a brownie. It's a true question.

[Melissa Clark]

Here is a. Okay. A brownie cookie. Yes. Okay, well, so what is a cookie? Define a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Webster's defines cookie as.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

No, Gilbert, if Melissa says it's so, it is.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So, you know, that's the real answer. That's the real answer.

[Melissa Clark]

There we go. I mean, honestly, definitions change, Definitions change. Dictionary definitions change. But don't you think a cookie is a sweet little thing that you pick up that you can, you know, it's like a bite of something that is, I agree, sweet and delicious.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You were the one to convince me. I mean, I would follow you blindly into the dark, honestly, with pretty much everything. But yeah, I mean, I think if we can call any sort of bar cookie, like if a blondie is a cookie, then why can't a brownie be a cookie? I don't know.

[Melissa Clark]

Or a lemon bar. Is a lemon bar a cookie.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Blondes can't have all the fun.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I also love the idea maybe we'll talk about cookie tins as like an item. But opening up one of these things and seeing a brownie or a bar or something in there that sort of mixes up just like the visuals of it.

[Melissa Clark]

If you're gonna call, if you wanna have cookie week and you wanna include brownies, it's going to make more people happy, therefore it is a cookie. That is just a good definition right there.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Let me ask you, Vaughn, about your cookie, which when I first saw the title of it, as someone who loves movies, I said, oh, this is interesting. And then I saw all the ingredients and I was like, I don't know about this, but then I saw the video of you making it and I was like, I would like to make that.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Thank you. Well, so my cookie this year is a popcorn bucket cookie. Because one of my favorite things about, well, just life in general, but also the holidays is watching movies with people that I love. So the popcorn bucket cookie has, you know, all of your favorite movie theater candy in it. It's brushed in butter, rolled in crushed popcorn, baked, topped with a little flaky sea salt. It is kind of like, my, I would say childhood dream, but also my like 32 year old dream of just like getting a handful of popcorn, Raisinets, Sour Patch Kids, Kit Kats, all of them. So you can customize this cookie with whatever candy you want. What candy would you put in there?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Oh, I would put Heath bars in there, obviously.

[Melissa Clark]

Junior Mints.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Junior Mints.

[Melissa Clark]

Junior Mints.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, that would be good.

[Melissa Clark]

Just because, you know, Junior Mint, like that's my favorite movie candy.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh yeah, that would actually be really good. You know, the only one that I'm not rocking with, I think is maybe a Milk Dud.

[Melissa Clark]

Milk Duds, they're hard to chew.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Milk. Yeah, they are. So they're chewing.

[Melissa Clark]

I think they're going to get hard.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

And I think that they would bake. Yeah, they would bake up weird snow caps. Were like a little.

[Gilbert Cruz]

What do we think about Whoppers?

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, I love a Whopper. Oh that would be good.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You got to chop it up.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, Whopper would be good.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I actually did put Whoppers in one of my tests. It was fantastic.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Tell us about a fail. Tell us about two flavors you tried to put together.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, I mean, gummy bears and Raisinets, I think. Well, that's specific to this cookie. But I also learned the hard way that you cannot put gummy bears in the oven.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yes, yes.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I mean, it was a molten mess. It was like the.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Just imagine what that looks like, Melissa.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

It was the tenth circle of hell in my oven. I opened it up and it was smoky because it had somehow crept over the edge of my rimmed baking sheet. Oh, my God.

[Melissa Clark]

It was alive.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, it was alive. It was alive. The gummy bears were revolting in the eye.

[Melissa Clark]

They were trying to escape.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So what are some of the other cookies that we have as part of cookie week this year?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

So we've got a mortadella cookie, which is actually really interesting. It's kind of. It's made to look like the salume, but it's. It's got freeze dried strawberries and almond paste in it. And it has the pistachios that you would find in mortadella, but then also macadamia nuts, which is kind of like harkens. That little pocket of fat.

[Gilbert Cruz]

The little, the little white fat.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those are fantastic.

[Melissa Clark]

Those are great.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

They also look a lot like mortadella, which is like, kind of creepy.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah. I think it has freaked some people out. Like, I don't want my cookies to look like meat, but again, I watched the video and I was sold. I feel like for me, actually seeing the way that these things come together make me more likely to want to try something.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You get to see the people having fun. You know, we have a lot of fun when we do these.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, they're great. And people also, I mean, it makes it easier for people to really understand the process. I mean, a mortadella cookie, like, what is that? Even if you see the picture, you're not exactly sure. And then to watch Claire make them, like, all of a sudden it all clicks.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So there's the mortadella cookie, there's a.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Coconut, the coconut cake snowballs, which are really fun. The developer who made them, Samantha Senavaratna, wanted to kind of play with the idea of those Hostess snowballs that you get.

[Gilbert Cruz]

But also, I remember them fondly, but.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Also like a beautiful coconut cake. So they don't have that chocolate center like you would get in the Hostess version, but it's just like this gorgeous tender coconut cake ball that's made into a cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

It's like a miniature coconut cake. It's so good. It's like bite sized. I mean. So then is that a cookie? Of course it's a cookie.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, absolutely. It's like a rectangle or a square. Right. Like I think it's all kind of. To me what you said, if you have fun with it, then that's a cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

I love the Payday cookies, the peanut ones.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Those are so good.

[Melissa Clark]

Those are delicious. Those are like salty peanut caramel, crunchy. It's like the candy bar Payday, which I love.

[Gilbert Cruz]

There's also, I believe, er, Kim had a chocolate mint.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

This is like a. It's like a bark, right?

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, it's like a bar.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It's like a bark. Okay.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. And that one's great because it's like this creamy mint topping on top of a cookie and then it's got chocolate and it's like the flavors of it. You know those Andes, those little Andes mints.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah, the ones they leave on your.

[Melissa Clark]

In the hotel pillow. Exactly. So that's the, those are the flavors and they're just. It's creamy, it's minty, it's chocolatey.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Vaughn, you spoke at the beginning about this idea of taking a cocktail and making it into a dessert or a sweet or a cookie. And there is one on this list that falls right into that category.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Ah, yes, the Dark and Stormy. I do love a beverage as a cookie. So your Brownie Melissa and the Dark and Stormy could be two of my favorites on this list. The Dark and Stormy cookie is this ginger cookie that's got like chopped up crystallized ginger in it. And then it also has a rum lime glaze. And when you bite into it it's like actually really, it's pretty rummy. Like that's what I love about the whole recipe. When you hear the words, you want to taste the flavors, right?

[Melissa Clark]

Yes. Yes you do. Oh, like last year your buttered rum cookie.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh yeah.

[Melissa Clark]

That was one of my favorite cookies of all times. Did you have that one? That one?

[Gilbert Cruz]

No. Tell us about it.

[Melissa Clark]

Okay, so that is actually. It's a gluten free cookie. It is made with almond flour and it is like a, a macaroon almost. And it's. I mean, I'm talking about your cookie. You should be talking about your cookie. But I'm gonna go on anyway because I love it so much. And it's got sliced almonds. So almond flour. Sliced almonds in a little Ball and then you just brush buttered like butter and rum right on top of it. And that makes it so delicious.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I told you I'm a maximalist at Harley's.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It sounds so good.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I like to gild the lily.

[Melissa Clark]

So that one is just. It really is one of my all time favorite cookies.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, Melissa, thank you.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I think before we go much further, it'd be sort of perverse to do so much talking about cookies without eating some cookies, please. I have to admit something. I sort of nodded to this at the beginning, but I don't eat cookies much anymore because I learned, I don't know, eight, ten years ago. I can't remember now. It feels like it's always been part of my life that I cannot eat gluten. I have a celiac condition, which changed my entire relationship to food, to bread, to pastries, to beer, to all the wonderful things, wonderful things in this world. Cookies being one of them. Melissa, you were so nice. You brought in some cookies, however, that are gluten free. I did that I can eat.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, I'm excited for you to try them. This is a recipe that is on our. It's on NYT Cooking and it's for gluten free chocolate chip cookies.

[Gilbert Cruz]

This is the kindest thing that someone has done for me in quite a while. I'm gonna open this plastic, this beautiful plastic container. Container here.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

But this is actually. This is good though. Cause I haven't had breakfast.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Have one.

[Melissa Clark]

I'm so used to not eating on, like when I'm trying to talk because we're all just gonna be sloppy together.

[Gilbert Cruz]

No, I know this is possibly a terrible idea. Cause we're supposed to be doing a lot of talking and now I have a cookie in my mouth. But this is delicious. They're good.

[Melissa Clark]

Ooh, they are good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I don't bake and I don't cook. Can I bake these? Is it?

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. They're so easy. They're so easy.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Melissa Clark]

Just like a regular chocolate chip cookie, which is a really simple thing. You cream the butter, you add your sugar, your egg, and then you add almond flour. The almond flour, really, it just makes them very tender. I feel like these are particularly tender, don't you think, Van?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, yeah. This is a fantastic recipe. Do you have to let the dough sit?

[Melissa Clark]

You do not have to let the dough sit.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I think that that is where you would shine.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Gilbert is doing nothing.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Well, I feel like a lot of novice bakers just want instant gratification. And especially with a chocolate chip cookie, usually a glutinous one. You have to let it sit, let the flour hydrate, let the flavors develop. But this, you can just bake right away.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah. In fact. And the dough is excellent.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

The dough is. That's like.

[Melissa Clark]

That is very good dough. Yes. We ate a lot of the dough, my kid and I, and we enjoyed the dough and we enjoyed the cookies.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Those were delicious. Thank you very much.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed them.

[Gilbert Cruz]

All right, we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we'll answer some reader questions about cookies, holiday entertaining, and more. We might even have a cocktail question in there. Ooh. We'll be right back.

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This podcast is supported by McCormick.

[Christina Tosi]

Hi, it's Christina Tosi, founder of the bakery Milk Bar. It's Cookie Week at New York Times Cooking. So in celebration, McCormick and Milk Bar have a new creation for families to try this year. In the spirit of the season, we've co created the Eggnog English Toffee Cookie. It's so good. You can make this tasty nostalgic recipe with a few McCormick favorites, like their English Toffee Finishing sugar, pure vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon. The full recipe is all [e-mail] holiday.

[Ivan Penn]

Hi, I'm Ivan Penn. I'm an energy reporter for the New York Times. I think a lot of people take electricity for granted, but it's an essential piece of some of the biggest stories right now. The rise of artificial intelligence, the threat of climate change, and the real challenges that everyday people are facing with increasing electric bills. I spend my days talking to experts, sometimes traveling to really remote places and investigating the role that energy plays in these huge issues. I'm just one of hundreds and hundreds of journalists at the Times, experts in what they cover, who carry the same level of commitment to their reporting. And that's the beauty of the New York Times. We're all working together to help you better understand and make sense of the world today. So if that sounds like something that connects with you and you're not a subscriber yet, you can go to nytimes.com subscribe.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, so a few weeks ago, we asked New York Times readers to send us questions about holiday baking, cooking, and entertaining. And we got a ton of thank you so much to everyone who sent in a question. Since we only have so much time, we've picked questions that in most cases, many people wrote us about. And we're going to take on cookie questions first. Kathleen in Dallas, Texas, wants to know if there are three cookie varieties that use the same base dough and can savor time by just mixing up what the final additions to that dough might be.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, so I love that question, because that's exactly how I bake a lot of my Christmas cookies. The way to think about it is when you take. So you take your base dough, let's just say it's a shortbread dough. You make a double or a triple batch. So you have a lot of it. And then you put it in, you divide it up. And after you divide it up, that's when you can start personalizing it. And what you wanna do, you wanna do two things. You wanna add flavor, and then you wanna change the shape. So visually, your cookies need to look different, and then they need to taste different. So what I would do is I would add spices, or I would make a sandwich cookie out of. You could put jam in the middle, or you could put buttercream in the middle. You could dip them in chocolate. You could put nuts on top of them.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Oh, my God.

[Melissa Clark]

You could roll them into balls, and then you can roll them in coconut. You could roll them out with a rolling pin, and you can cut them into shapes. So you have so many options. The thing about shortbreads, I find that they are the most versatile because you can do so many things with them. You know, like chocolate chip cookies are always gonna have that chewy texture, and then you add different. Add ins. Right. Brownies are always gonna have that brownie texture. So. But ginger, something like a gingerbread or a shortbread are gonna give you the most options because you can change the shape.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Another reader, Sam in Boston, says that quote, for decades, at holiday time, specifically on Christmas Eve, my family and I would bring treats to our local fire department. Last year, a close friend who was a firefighter reported that his fire department gets inundated with cookies at holiday time. Unquote. This is good to know. Sam from Boston wants to know if there are savory items that they could be making instead.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm from North Carolina, so my mom makes cheese straws all the time. You know, those. Like, it actually comes. So I think cheese straws would be a really fun bake to go with. And then you pair that with pimento cheese. That's gilding the lily. I think that cheese on cheese, cheese on cheese. Why not give it a little. Add a little cayenne into the cheese straws. Because that little bit of spice that comes on the back end keeps them going back for more.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, God, love that.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Listeners, listeners, we're recording this at 10 in the morning. This is. I'm so hungry right now. Do you have any suggestions, Melissa, for savory options?

[Melissa Clark]

Well, yes, Spice nuts, just like delicious spicy nuts.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That's very simple.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, very simple, but they're really good. We also have a couple of recipes for like sweet and spicy nuts that you do with a little bit of egg white and you can make them on the sweeter side. On the spicier side, I personally love them with rosemary and lemon zest and then they just get real. And salt, of course, good salt. And they're just like the perfect thing to just snack on and very satisfying in the crunch.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Firefighters notoriously hungry. Hungry people.

[Melissa Clark]

Hungry people.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Vandy in Oakland, California asks, quote, why do some cookies taste as good or better in days three, four and beyond, while others are only truly good the day they are baked? How do I pick recipes or pack cookies to last?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You know, I think that there's a variety of different factors of how cookies can keep obviously what you're storing them in. Melissa brought the cookies in today in an airtight container. Always suggests that if you're storing them in like a zip top bag, for example, there is room for a lot of air to kind of get in there and steal your cookies out. But ultimately it kind of just depends on the ratios of fat in the recipe a lot of the time. Or if there's oats, for example, in a recipe, those are gonna draw a lot of moisture out of your cookie. I love a snickerdoodle cookie because the traditional snickerdoodle has cream of tartar in it. Cream of tartar is this kind of acidic thing that honestly makes the cookies better and softer on day two or day three a lot of the time.

So I think that those types of cookies do keep really well. You're like softer, chewier cookies, but also a shortbread, if it's very snappy and you know, tender, I think is a good cookie that will keep for a long time. I have this brownie cookie recipe that also I think tastes better on day two or day three. It's just if you're storing them correctly, you know, they're not gonna stale as as much.

[Melissa Clark]

I think that the only ones that really are the best on the day that they're made are the chocolate chips. Chocolate chip cookies are just amazing on day one. Gluten free chocolate chip cookies, however, last a lot longer.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I'm glad I got them on day two here, Melissa.

[Melissa Clark]

But they're gluten free is actually, it is actually a Different chemical.

[Gilbert Cruz]

No, they're very good.

[Melissa Clark]

But no chocolate chip cookies, really, because you want them soft, right? You want them, and you want them a little warm. I mean, that's the real joy of it, is within a few hours so that they keep that texture. But otherwise, I think most cookies keep pretty well. And cookies with spices and cookies that have chocolate in them get better because their flavors settle. And so if you're looking for cookies that get better after day two, day three, find like a spice cookie, like a snickerdoodle, for example, that would have, you know, some nutmeg in it. Or gingerbread, of course, keeps. Gingerbread keeps like a month. It really does, because there is so many spices in there. So you put them in. As long as you store them properly airtight, they're gonna last.

[Gilbert Cruz]

One more question on this theme. This is from Polly in Stafford, Virginia. She says that she and a friend, they have this tradition of baking all their holiday cookies together over the course of, you know, a long weekend. She says, quote, it's a chance for us to visit. We go home with dozens and dozens of cookies. What is the best way to wrap cookies to store in the freezer for later?

[Melissa Clark]

That you really want an airtight container with layers of parchment in between the cookies. So you get. I actually have a few of these. I have these big airtight containers. You do one layer of cookies. You make sure that they are not overlapping. You want them flat in the container. And then you take some parchment paper, lay it on top, and then do another layer. You really need a lot of freezer space because the containers are big, but they freeze perfectly. They really do. The cookies that freeze well, if you freeze them like that, I think most cookies really do freeze pretty well. I mean, not meringues. Meringues don't freeze well. But, you know, your average cookies are gonna freeze perfectly. I do them that way, and they'll last at least a month.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

If not, you know, I learned this trick. It might have been from you. I can't remember if it was from you or not, Melissa. But if you crumple up the parchment paper, it kind of fills in the pockets of the space in your airtight container, so it almost acts more like a tissue paper. That's food safe. And that also keeps the cookies a little bit more protected, a little bit more insulated. Also a good way to ship cookies, too. If you want to ship cookies to your friends again, pick those cookies that are going to be better on. On kind of day two or day three, obviously.

[Gilbert Cruz]

But, yeah, this Is real. These are real pro tips right here.

[Melissa Clark]

I forgot about to say that. That is such an important nuance there.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, we are going to move on now from cookies and into more general holiday entertaining questions. We. We got a few people asking about signature cocktails for a party. This question is from Alicia in Hopewell Junction, New York. She says, quote, with fewer people drinking alcohol these days. Side note, not me. I'd love some recipes for a sophisticated holiday punch or drink base. No Sprite or sherbet that is delicious, both with or without liquor.

[Melissa Clark]

Do you want to take that?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I feel like. Well, first of all, I have to preface this by saying Melissa is the person who got me into batch cocktails, but you will also be hearing from my lawyer, because the first time that I ever made a batch of Manhattans was last year at Thanksgiving. And I learned the hard way that if you're making a batch of Manhattans, you need to kiddie proof all of the corners in your home. Because I tripped and fell and split my head open.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, God.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

So, first of all, drink responsibly, listeners.

[Melissa Clark]

I don't know if I should be blamed for that.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

No, you're not. No, no. I'm just kidding, obviously. But I think, you know, I love at the holidays, a cider, any type of, like, apple cider that you can add lots of warming spices to citrus to. You can steep those ingredients in the cider, and then, you know, you just have people spike it. Some people like rum, some people like bourbon, Some people want vodka in theirs. You know, I think that that's a fun way of kind of creating something that pleases all sorts of drinkers.

[Melissa Clark]

And what I like to do also is I like to do a simple syrup that's infused with something, some really intense aromatics. Like, I love rosemary and lemon. That's a flavor profile that work really well with a bunch of different alcohols. And it's also, you can turn it into lemonade, right? With a sophisticated edge. So you make a simple syrup, really easy, equal parts sugar and water. And then you take some fresh rosemary and some lemon zest, let it simmer for a few minutes, strain it, and you have this lovely, herby, lemony, aromatic syrup. And then that is what you can use as the base for all kinds of punches, and mix it with seltzer. It's really good. It just makes this instant, delicious soda that is so much better than Sprite, but, you know, a crowd pleaser.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Should I be embarrassed to admit that I buy simple syrup?

[Melissa Clark]

Yes. It is so easy. Gilbert oh, my God.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You can do it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I appreciate your honesty.

[Melissa Clark]

Just take sugar and water, hot water. You can boil a kettle, put it on the sugar, let it sit there, and boom.

[Gilbert Cruz]

No. I mean, yes, conceptually, I understand what you're saying.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I make mine in a microwave.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, even better.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You can literally just put equal parts sugar and water in a microwave, Gilbert. And in about two minutes, you've got it.

[Melissa Clark]

Okay, we'll stop shaming him. If it's EAS to buy it, buy it.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

You know what?

[Melissa Clark]

No.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

If it works for people, it works for me.

[Melissa Clark]

Exactly.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

So, Gilbert, what is your kind of go to holiday?

[Gilbert Cruz]

There is one that I made a couple years ago that I feel like I only break out around the holidays because there are way too many ingredients involved. But it's sort of like a cranberry orange Manhattan definitely is too sweet because after two, your sugar is just way too high. But it's, you know, rye or bourbon, cranberry juice. You know, get some orange bitters in there or some orange juice. Maybe you top it off with a little ginger beer to give it a little kick, and you can batch it.

[Melissa Clark]

That sounds great.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I think that's. Yeah. I like the idea of what Melissa says, though, of adding, like, your aromatics. I think whatever kind of base you're going with, adding those, adding rosemary, adding citrus, adding ginger root, those types of things are really gonna kind of elevate your batch cocktail and make it feel just a little bit more special.

[Melissa Clark]

I think ginger beer is really smart, too, because so you're adding that and you're giving it a kick. So in a way, ginger beer is like an infused thing that you don't have to actually make. You can buy. So that's very smart.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Pay attention when you're making this. Do not put ginger beer in the cocktail shaker. Top it off afterwards. I've done it several times and I taste like, oh, I messed this up again. Our next question is about what to serve for a holiday meal. I feel like we could do a whole episode on this. But there's one question here from Lauren in Livonia, Michigan. And Lauren asks, what's a good main course meat to serve that's not a ham or turkey, but not so easy to overcook or expensive like a prime rib?

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, I say, I'm a big stew person. A braise of stew. So, like lamb shanks or short ribs? Cause you can make it ahead. It's special because you're not gonna buy, you know, like a cut like that, but it's not as Expensive as a prime ribbon. You can't over. You really can't overcook it. I mean, it's gonna just fall off the bone and be delicious. And you make the whole thing the day before, heat it up on, you know, for your dinner. It's festive, it's special. It's not, you know, gonna break the bank. And it's low stress. Cause you can do it ahead.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah. The idea of making something ahead, particularly when you're having people over when you're hosting people, is really underrated.

[Melissa Clark]

It's a life. I mean, I. I don't like to cook a la minute for anybody except my husband. Like, literally. I do not want to make. I don't want to chance it. I want to do it ahead.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

No, Melissa is the queen of make ahead. Anytime we're at a pitch meeting, it's like, make ahead Christmas.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yes.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I think that's a fantastic idea. You know when you were saying that, the wheels got turning, and I'm like, what if you did that? Kind of turned it into like a Guinness pie of sorts, Like a British, like, you know, add some short crust pastry, pie dough, puff pastry on top, and then bake it. You can put. Do individual servings. You could do it as a large format thing. And that kind of makes it feel a little bit more festive, too.

[Melissa Clark]

Or like mashed potatoes. Do like a shepherd's pie or a cottage pie.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I know. Yeah. My answer for that was gonna be pork tenderloin. But then that is also easy to overcook.

[Melissa Clark]

I mean, I know for myself, it's like one glass of wine later and I didn't hear the timer.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah.

Our next question is it's less about food and drink and more about entertaining itself, Specifically about party favors. Laura in Manhattan asks, other than the standard Christmas party crackers, what could I place on each plate that would be entertaining and festive and spark conversation at the dinner table?

[Melissa Clark]

Okay, what about horoscopes? Daily horoscopes for all your guests? You could find out their birthdays and cut them out, wouldn't you? I would like that.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

That is really fun.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is a great idea.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Crackers is in, like, the opening.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yes. The things that you pull and it makes a little snap.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, got it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

At first I was like, my mind was going, what to put on a charcuterie board that's gonna get the girls talking. I was like, I don't know. I'm like, My mind goes to conversation starters. Like, what movie have you seen the most in your life? What's that one song that can make you happy no matter what.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You know, you can write down. Vaughn, you could write down your questions on, like, festive paper and put them at each setting.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, that's true.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Everyone is responsible at some point in the dinner for picking them up and answering that question.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

That's a good idea, too.

[Melissa Clark]

I like that, too. Everyone gets a different question, right? So one person's like, okay, what's the movie you've seen the most? The next person is like, okay, what song do you know by heart?

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I like that. We should do that.

[Melissa Clark]

Okay, let's do that at our holiday party.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

At the holiday party.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That'd be fun. Before we move on to our game, I have one last question for the two of you, which is, what are each of you planning on making for your holiday meals? I think Melissa's gonna cook something ahead.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I am.

[Melissa Clark]

That's exactly what I'm doing. Osso buco. So. Osso buco. So veal shank. And it's just this white wine with tomatoes. And I put some anchovy in there, let it simmer the day before. And then for serving, you do like a fresh herb gremolata with lemon zest. See, My favorites. All the same things. I'm talking the same lemon zest, fresh herbs, garlic right on top. And so I'm gonna do that.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I think if you are shopping for Melissa Clark for the holidays, just get her a vat of lemon zest.

[Melissa Clark]

Actually, just get me. Seriously, like, you know, would be the best present for me. Is my husband listening? I would like. I'd like a subscription. Like, a citrus subscription. Like, you know, you get, like, a box of citrus from some warm and sunny place delivered to your house in cold New York. I would like that.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

That is a good gift idea for.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You, by the way.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

So a couple years ago, I made Melissa Clark's beef Wellington, and my family was like, you're never making anything other than that ever again for Christmas dinner.

[Gilbert Cruz]

So what, an endorsement.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

No, truly. I usually actually do. And I'm not just blowing smoke. I usually do pick a Melissa Clark centerpiece. Like, you do have a porchetta recipe too, right?

[Melissa Clark]

I have a porchetta pork.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I've made that one before. But the beef Wellington is the thing that my whole entire family was like, yeah, that's it. It's an investment time financially, but it pays off. It's so, so good. And also, you can kind of make it ahead.

[Melissa Clark]

You can make most of it ahead. It's true. You just pop it in the oven. You Assemble the whole thing. And then you just bake it.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

And then you just bake it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah. We'll be right back. And when we return, as we do every week, we're going to play a little game.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Hey, who's the new guy manning the bar? I didn't see him last year. Oh, that's Jim. His family just moved in down the street.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Whoa.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

What is he making? Looks like half and half vodka white chocolate liqueur and McCormick candy cane finishing sugar. Hold my eggnog. I'm getting one of those. Jim, buddy, you're a holiday gift to.

[McCormick Ad Voice]

Us all this holiday season. Find festively flavorful inspiration and try recipes like the candy cane martini when you visit mccormick.comholiday.

[Christina Tosi]

I gave my brother a.

[McCormick Ad Voice]

New York Times subscription.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

We exchange articles and so having read the same article, we can discuss it.

[Ivan Penn]

She sent me a year long subscription so I have access to all the games.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

The New York Times contributes to our quality time together. It enriches our relationship.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It was such a cool and thoughtful gift.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

We're reading the same stuff, we're making the same food.

[Melissa Clark]

We're on the same page.

[McCormick Ad Voice]

Learn more about giving a New York Times subscription as a [e-mail] gift okay.

[Gilbert Cruz]

As we've been discussing all episode food is a non negotiable part of the holiday season. And once you start noticing it, you sort of realize that you can't sing a festive song or watch a holiday movie without being constantly reminded about food. So we have three rounds in this game about food and holiday culture and you are going to buzz in to answer.

[Melissa Clark]

Ooh, you are gonna win. Vox. I am called. So I don't know.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I don't know.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Hands on buzzers.

Round one, which we are calling bring us some figgy pudding. I am going to describe the favorite meal of an iconic character from a holiday movie. You name the character. Ready?

This character loves a large cheese pizza from Little Nero's. And if it's served in the back of a limousine on the way to Duncan's Toy chest, that would be even better. Vaughn.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Kevin McAllister.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Kevin McAllister from Home Alone and Home Alone 2. Lost in New York.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Lost in New York. The better. Home Alone.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is correct. This character likes spaghetti with maple syrup and chocolate syrup and MMs and marshmallows and a chocolate fudge pop tart crumbled on top.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Vaughn, Buddy the elf. What's your favorite color?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Buddy the elf from the Drill. Melissa, get in the game here.

[Melissa Clark]

You know what? I'm really bad at this Kind of thing.

[Gilbert Cruz]

All right.

[Melissa Clark]

You got any 19th century literature in there?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Oh, boy. Can we rewrite the quiz in real time? This character would like a turkey. Specifically, the prize turkey from the front window of the poulterers. The one that's twice the size of Tiny Tim Vaughn.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Ebenezer Scrooge.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. Which is literally.

[Melissa Clark]

Yes. I'm just terrified.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Tiny Tim gave that one away.

[Melissa Clark]

You're right. Tiny Tim did.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, this character would also like a turkey. But if the bumpus dogs should happen to get loose, he'd settle for Peking duck. Preferably Headless.

[Melissa Clark]

Bumpus Dog. That's our clue. But I don't get it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I mean, I guess I'll throw a Hail Mary. Is this Ralph from A Christmas Story?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Right. Movie. Wrong character.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, what is his name?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Dad? Or the old man from A Christmas.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Right, right, right.

[Melissa Clark]

This is embarrassing, people. It's embarrassing.

[Gilbert Cruz]

This character would like anything but a Twinkie. And definitely not a thousand year old Twinkie found in the drawer at Nakatomi Plaza while he's hiding from terrorists on Christmas Eve. Vaughn.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Bruce Willis character in Die Hard. John something. What is it? It's iconic.

[Gilbert Cruz]

John McClane.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

John McClane. John McClay.

[Gilbert Cruz]

I Die Hard.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, John McClain.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Jessica. Christmas movie. We've been talking about this for years. At this point, there should be no argument over it. Round two. Here we come, A wassailing. Here we come A wassailing. Christmas songs are full of references to food. We're gonna play you a bit of a Christmas song and you fill in the missing food. Bonus points if you sing, of course.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, Bon.

[Melissa Clark]

There you go, Vaughn.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Let us begin.

It's beginning to look, look a lot like Christmas.

Everywhere you go. Take a look in the 5 and 10.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Listening once again with bong with candy canes and silver lanes aglow Candy canes.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is the correct answer. That is Perry Como's classic version of It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

It doesn't show signs of stopping and I bought some.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Fun corn for popping.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is Let It Snow as performed by country legend George Strait.

[Melissa Clark]

Nice.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I tried to get my little twang in there.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, I definitely heard it. Next song.

[Melissa Clark]

There's a happy feeling Nothing in the.

[Gilbert Cruz]

World can buy when they pass around the world.

Bon.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Coffee.

The coffee and the pumpkin pie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Melissa.

[Melissa Clark]

I know. I'm telling you, I'm really bad at this kind of thing.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Coffee and the pumpkin pie.

[Melissa Clark]

I did not even know if you're gonna have chestnuts roasting on the open fire. I'll get it, but that's about the only one.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is the song Sleigh Ride, and that version is Performed by the 80s soft rock icons, Air Supply.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, God.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Of course.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Of course.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Gather around the table. We'll give you a treat.

[Melissa Clark]

Latkes to eat. And while we are playing, the candles are burning. At least I'm Melissa.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You got it. You got it.

[Melissa Clark]

All right, fine.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You got it. Latkes. Latkes.

[Melissa Clark]

Latkes. Latkes.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is Hanukkah. Oh, Hanukkah. Performed by the Barenaked Ladies.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Was that actually. Barenaked Ladies?

[Gilbert Cruz]

That was Barenaked Ladies.

[Melissa Clark]

That's so good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You're as cuddly as a cactus. You're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch. You're a bad.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Banana with a greasy black peel.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Vaughn, you are killing it. That is. You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch, performed by Thurl Ravenscroft. Yes.

[Melissa Clark]

So good.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Who, in case you didn't know, was also the voice of Tony the Tiger.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, is he really?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yes. Yes, he was.

[Melissa Clark]

4.

Cup of something, Melissa.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You want a buzzard cup?

[Melissa Clark]

But we'll take a cup of something Kindness.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Hey.

Was that Jennifer Hudson?

[Gilbert Cruz]

That was Jennifer Hudson performing Auld Lang Syne.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I would recognize that vibrato anywhere.

[Gilbert Cruz]

All right, we have one more clue in this category. Y' all are doing great.

[Melissa Clark]

At least I got one. Two.

[Gilbert Cruz]

You got two.

Melissa.

[Melissa Clark]

All right, here's my chestnuts. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. That is correct. That is Nat King Cole's immortal version of the Christmas song. Amazing work, you two. Amazing work. We have one more round. This is a round that we are calling Milk and Cookies. Milk and Cookies.

We have to end where we started, of course, with cookies. We're going to test your cookie knowledge. I'm going to give you a word, and you have to tell me if it is a cookie or if it's not a cookie.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, good.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Okay.

[Gilbert Cruz]

This is fun.

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Let's begin. Chin chin.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

It's a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It is a cookie. Their celebratory biscuits popular in Nigeria and other African countries. Chin chin. Okay. Kuchidari Fun.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Not a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

They are cookies. They're Italian fig holiday cookies. So keep that in mind for next year's cookie week.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Coochie daddy.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Coochie daddy. Not coochie daddy.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

What did you call me?

[Gilbert Cruz]

All right, next one. Metigol. Melissa.

[Melissa Clark]

Not a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Correct. That is not A cookie. It is a German dish of chopped pork served in the shape of a hedgehog.

[Melissa Clark]

Of course, I make it every year.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yeah. All right, next one. Mello maccarona.

[Melissa Clark]

Melissa, it is a cookie. It's a delicious cookie.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, I've had those too.

[Melissa Clark]

We have a recipe for those.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, do we?

[Melissa Clark]

Yeah, at NYT Cooking.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Absolutely right. They are egg shaped Greek Christmas cookies. Next one. Khaosarikhanit. Melissa, I'm gonna say no, that is not a cookie. It is the Finnish term for getting drunk at home in your underwear.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

What was that one again?

[Gilbert Cruz]

Khalsarikhanit.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

All right.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Right, you're gonna put that in your pocket.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Okay, next one. Alfajores.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

That is a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Correct. That is a shortbread sandwich cookie, which is popular in Latin America. Next one. Sumu tlu, bojiek bon.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

I'm gonna say it's not a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

That is not a cookie. That is correct. It is the Turkish word for slug, translating literally to snotbug.

[Melissa Clark]

Okay, whoever wrote this quiz, I love you.

[Gilbert Cruz]

All right, next one. Mamoul.

[Melissa Clark]

Melissa, Mamoul is a cookie.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Yes. It is a butter cookie filled with figs, dates, or nuts. And that, Vaughn and Melissa, is our game.

[Melissa Clark]

Woohoo.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Great job. Unfortunately, only one of you can win. I am being told that, Vaughn, you are the winner of this week. It was close, but you are the winner of this week's game. You, like, surged in rounds two and three.

[Melissa Clark]

I could do the cookie thing, but I can't do the movie thing.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Vaughn, you won and we are giving you an actual prize.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, my.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Something rare. It is a cheap golden trophy with my face on it, which we call the Gildy.

[Melissa Clark]

Oh, my gosh.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Oh, my God. I. You like me. You really like me. I'm going to treasure this forever.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Vaughn, for being on the Sunday special to talk about cookie week.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Thank you. This was so fun. You know, cookie week extends beyond the confines of December 1st through 7th. You know, celebrate it all year long.

[Melissa Clark]

It's a cookie month.

[Vaughn Vreeland]

Yeah, it's a cookie month. Come on.

[Gilbert Cruz]

Melissa, thank you for being on.

[Melissa Clark]

Aw, thanks for having us. This was so much fun. Loved it.

[Gilbert Cruz]

It.

This episode was produced by Tina Antolini with help from Kate Lopresti. Our quiz master is Alex Barron. We had production assistance from Dalia Haddad. It was edited by Wendy Dore. The Sunday special is engineered by Rowan Niemisto. Original music by Dan Powell and Diane Wong. Thanks for listening, everyone. See you next week.

[McCormick Ad Voice]

It's the sweetest time of the year, and McCormick has flavorful inspiration in store, from their Candy Cane Finishing Sugar for Candy Cane Martini to English Toffee Finishing Sugar for Eggnog English Toffee Cookies. Find these recipes and other delicious holiday [e-mail] holiday.