695: Holiday Cookie Boot Camp with Vaughn Vreeland & Marissa Rothkopf

·1 hr 14 min·5 clips

Vaughn Vreeland reveals how to win your office holiday cookie competition with creative recipes from his New York Times cookbook.

The episode opens with host Matt Rodbard introducing Vaughn Vreeland, a cookbook author and New York Times Cooking writer, to discuss his book 'Cookies: The best recipes for the perfect anytime treat.' Vaughn shares his passion for cookies, fueled by stories from his book tour about people's nostalgic connections to baking. He talks about his busy schedule, including a deadline for a New York Times Christmas recipe involving an enriched dough. The conversation shifts to New York Times Cookie Week, which starts planning in May with a team pitching 21-35 cookie ideas based on a 'but make it a cookie' theme, focusing on turning familiar flavors into cookies. Vaughn advises on winning cookie competitions, recommending soft, chewy cookies like gingerbread latte or Mexican hot chocolate that balance familiarity and intrigue. He discusses common baking mistakes, such as overbaking, using dark pans, and not creaming butter properly, and recommends light, rimmed baking sheets. Vaughn highlights contributors to his book, including Yasia Refi and Eric Kim, and shares the lore behind the Neiman Marcus $250 cookie recipe. He describes developing recipes like salted margarita bars with a saltine crust and tequila. After a break, Marissa Rothkopf joins to discuss her book 'The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies.' She explains how her podcast started during COVID with Kathy Griffin, leading to interviews with figures like E. Jean Carroll and Joyce Vance, blending cookies with discussions on politics and culture. Marissa organized her book by cookie texture—soft, thin and crispy, crunch-chewy—and includes tips like adding malted milk powder for chewiness. She advises on winning cookie competitions with familiarity, intrigue, and salt, and shares baking tips such as using fresh baking powder/soda, light-colored pans, and proper butter temperature. Marissa discusses her baking schedule for December, stocking up on butter from Costco, and her preference for parchment paper over silicone mats. The episode concludes with rapid-fire questions for Vaughn and Marissa's insights on New Jersey's underrated food scene.

As heard by us

A holiday cookie chat finds its best advice in surprise, salt, and broad appeal.

Cookie talk becomes a practical look at why some holiday bakes win over an office crowd while others may ask too much of it. Vaughn Vreeland discusses Cookies, his NYT Cooking collaboration, through the gochujang caramel cookie and the tougher pitch of a seaweed chocolate chip…

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Why you'd press play

You want a holiday cookie that can win the office and still surprise the first bite.

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