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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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.
Cream Butter Properly For Spread
- Ensure butter is at the correct room temperature (about 65–68°F) and thoroughly creamed to aerate dough.
- Avoid using fridge-cold butter and under-creaming, which prevents spreading and creates dense, unflattened cookies.
Dickens Shaped Modern Christmas
- Charles Dickens used food and festive detail to revive and codify Victorian Christmas customs.
- His fiction anchored dishes like turkey and plum pudding to the modern idea of Christmas dinner and charity.
