Sunday Special: ’Tis the Season for Cookies

December 7, 2025

• Origins and growth of New York Times Cookie Week, starting as a virtual cookie exchange in 2020

• Theme for the year: “but make it a cookie,” featuring creative flavor profiles like Vietnamese coffee brownies and popcorn bucket cookies

• Discussion on broad definitions of cookies, including brownies, blondies, and cake-like cookies as part of the celebration

• Tips for holiday cookie baking: using a versatile base dough for multiple cookie varieties and storing/freezing cookies properly

• Suggestions for savory holiday treats as alternatives to traditional cookie gifts, such as cheese straws and spiced nuts

• Advice on holiday entertaining: batch cocktails with aromatic simple syrups, make-ahead braised meats, and festive party favors like conversation starters or horoscopes

• Interactive holiday food and culture quiz covering iconic movie meals, Christmas songs with food references, and international cookie names

• Emphasis on the joy and community of baking, sharing, and celebrating cookies throughout the holiday season and beyond