Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio Holiday Bonanza! Cookie Q&A and A Very Dickens Christmas
Dec 12, 2025
Vaughn Vreeland, a supervising video producer for New York Times Cooking and cookie expert, hosts a lively cookie Q&A, revealing tips for achieving the perfect holiday cookies. Historian Penn Vogler dives into Charles Dickens' impact on Christmas traditions, discussing the meanings behind festive dishes like turkey, plum pudding, and even the famed Smoking Bishop from A Christmas Carol. With a nostalgic touch, Vaughn also shares his delightful popcorn cookie recipe, wrapping up a delightful exploration of culinary holiday magic.
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One Dough, Many Cookies
- Use a single versatile dough like a butter shortbread (pâte sucrée variant) to make many cookie variations.
- Add cocoa, nuts, spices or fillings to the base to create different holiday cookies with minimal extra work.
Wildcat: Wisconsin's Controversial Sandwich
- Mackenzie Martin tells the story of Waso, Wisconsin's holiday 'Wildcat' sandwich: raw ground beef on rye with raw onion.
- The tradition divides locals but persists as a deep-rooted seasonal custom with butcher-recommended safety practices.
Fix Cookies That Won't Spread
- To fix cookies that stay ball-shaped, press dough with a glass or lightly flatten before baking.
- Let dough hydrate in the fridge for hours or overnight so flour fully absorbs liquids and dough spreads properly.
