Cookie Party 2020: A Visual Guide

art by Dan Funderburgh

Oh, hello. I'm returning to this long-inactive snack blog in the midst of a global pandemic in order to share what I'm baking for the annual Cookie Party I can't have this year... or, at least, I can't have it indoors in my apartment. 

Instead, I've decided to bake a smaller amount of goodies and offer them in a takeaway package to friends in the area who feel comfortable receiving them. I know there are those who may be wary of homemade cookies or anything from a non-commercial kitchen, temporarily or permanently, but for those whose comfort levels allow it, I am happy to wash my hands 1,000 times, make treats, and share what I've made. 

For the record and for the edification (yes, this information will improve you educationally) of our takeaway "guests," I will share here this year's menu and photos of the cookies. That way, if you are sitting home with one of our Cookie Party bags, not sure what to eat first, you will know what you have without having to guess.

Note: for best results, we recommend you unpack your cookies from the bag once you are home and store them somewhere airtight if you aren’t going to eat them right away. They should also freeze well, and the flavors will mingle less if frozen.

The first bag is packed!

Dan improves our bags with a sticker!

24th Annual Cookie Party (2020) - for Takeaway, Jan. 2-11, 2021

Cookies

1. Polvorones de Pistache - contain nuts, new recipe!

2. Snickerdoodles

3. Citrus Sizzlers

4. Chocolate Salt and Vinegar Cookies - new recipe!

5. Milk Bar Compost Cookies - contain nuts

6. Coconut Rice Cookies - gluten-free, contain coconut, new recipe!

7. Cranberry Cheddar Pecan Crisps - no sugar added, contain nuts

8. Chocolate Espresso Meringues - gluten-free, contain nuts

9. Peanut Butter Crunch Blossoms - gluten-free, vegan, contain peanuts

10. Triple Ginger Spice Cookies - vegan

11. By Chloe Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookies - contain coconut oil

12. Salted Oatmeal Cookies

Final Cookie Count: 1751

Non-Cookie Items

* Midnight Rum Balls - vegan, contain rum

* Dan’s Signature Party Mix - contains peanuts and nuts

Allergen/Vegan/G-F Note: As you probably know, chocolate chips and other ingredients may be processed in factories that also process peanuts/nuts and wheat. All items prepared were definitely prepared in a house that contained peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, coconut, flour, animal products, etc. Cross-contamination is possible. For vegans, I cannot confirm how the sugars or other ingredients were initially processed. Everyone: eat at your own risk!

Polvorones de Pistache - contain pistachio, new recipe!

Snickerdoodles

Citrus Sizzlers - contain cayenne

Dark Chocolate Salt and Vinegar Cookies - new recipe!

Milk Bar “Compost” Cookies - contain almond toffee

Coconut Rice Cookies - gluten-free, contain coconut, new recipe!

Cranberry Cheddar Pecan Crisps - no sugar added, contain pecans

Chocolate Espresso Meringues - gluten-free, contain almond flavor

Peanut Butter Crunch Blossoms — I forgot to score the final batch,
so yours may look like the ones on the left OR right
- contain peanuts, vegan, gluten-free

Triple Ginger Spice Cookies - vegan

By Chloe Chocolate Chip Cookies - contain coconut oil, vegan

Salted Oatmeal Cookies

Midnight Rum Balls - vegan, contain rum

Dan’s Signature Party Mix - contains nuts, peanuts

Photo Essay: Our Baby Shower (February)

Host: Rachel





Spread: Cheese Fondue with fruit and vegetables, pickles, spice cake. I enjoyed the food so much I didn't get any photos of myself, and very few photos of any of the guests!




Decorations: Tissue paper garland (made by me), flowers and butterflies (made and donated by FEAST organizers).  Flowers.




Activity: Draw a picture for our homemade alphabet book!



Thanks, friends!
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New Years Resolution

 
(photos by Dan)

More of everything!

Happy New Year, y'all.

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You could learn a lot from this dimly lit birthday party.

Okay, so the photos are underwhelming (I'm talking about my photography here, not the subject matter).  I optimized as best I could without having to open Photoshop.  People don't seem to light their houses for photo shoots.  Weird.

If necessary, just take my word for it -- Isra's birthday party feast was marked by an outstanding snack buffet.

My favorite items were:

• radish and butter open-faced sandwiches (with good, fresh butter) -- I think I ate 6.
• strawberry and cream cheese open-faced sandwiches
• slices of prosciutto
• very spicy pickles (provenance unknown)
• perfectly ripe fruit slices, including peaches and plums
• Spanish almonds (which I thought tasted a bit like cashews)
• some kind of cheese that was incredible and unrecognizable (to me). 
• blackberries

And, of course, the company was nice, too.

Dreaming of better days...

It's been seasonably chilly (it is March, after all) in NYC this week, and today is sunny but cold. I'm focusing on the gorgeous weather we had last weekend, and all the delicious food I had at Steve's classy BBQ party. My favorite items on the buffet were a moist shrimp with rice dish and an incredible peanut butter cookie.

(Shoes from Target)

Happy, Ryan?

I am at Ryan's house, enjoying Sam's lively Chinese New Year birthday party as I type this. There's a lot going on.

The woman next to me is speaking rapidly in French, some crab rangoons are frying in a dangerous amount of oil heated over a turkey burner in the back yard, Chuck Norris (in The Octagon) is having flashbacks on the wall, several ladies are dancing like mad, and I just ate something tasty with noodles.

It has come to my attention that some of my friends fear that if I do not write a blog post about a party they've thrown or a meal they've fed me, it must mean I was disappointed by it -- and, by extension, the friend in question.

However, just for the record, it's often too dark for a good photo. See the top of this post for blurry phone photos I'd rather not have posted. I don't like using flash, either. The results aren't much better. Believe me, I mean no offense if your party does not end up on Snackreligious, especially if the lighting is dim. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself, or your refreshments, immensely.

Other reasons I might not blog about the awesome snack you gave me include:

• No camera/phone on hand.
• I ate the thing too quickly (because it was so good, was melting, was in danger of being eaten by someone else) to get a photo.
• I plumb forgot to write the blog post.
• I just don't write about everything I eat. Something's going to be left out.
• I've already blogged about it in some other context and don't want to repeat myself.
  

At this party, however dimly lit, I made a special effort to put the ice cream cake under a lamp to take a better picture. Bought at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, it was layers of green tea, black sesame, and pandan ice creams. Superb!





Fun party, too.

So far, I remain unsponsored and sorry about that.

If any local restaurant owner or chef wants to pay me (in food or gift certificates) to write about how awesome his or her fare is, I'm open to the idea. Especially if that restaurant is Buttermilk Channel. Because, that's where Matt got the dinner we ate for his birthday a few weeks ago, and it was resplendent -- moist chicken with a slightly salty breading, cheddar-filled waffle wedges, a thin and sweet syrup (tasting slightly of balsamic vinegar?) bread & butter pickles, coleslaw, and candied/bacon-flavored almonds. I now wish to try everything on the menu, once I can stop hyperventilating with delight.



While we're on the subject of Matt's birthday party, take a gander at the snack and appetizer buffet he assembled. This is some serious snack curation. Well done, birthday boy. Well done.


p.s. Does anyone else have 7 or more friends named Matt?

Menu Curation: First Birthday

(photo by Dan)

My best baby friend is one! I met up with her and some other admirers in the park Wednesday night to celebrate. I thought I could tempt her with some snacks, so I toted blueberries, healthy crispy rice cupcakes, gelled-juice jigglers, and homemade soft pretzels.

Hero seemed happy I was there. My menu wasn't such a hit, though.

• Blueberries (which at other times she has adored) got smushed between thumb and forefinger, then rejected. A plus: she loved smushing them.
  
• We'll speak more of the disastrous crisped rice cakes when I post this week's CSA wrapup. Though Hero actually did eat some, they were a mess.
  
• The jello didn't interest her at all, texturally speaking. She just shook her head at me. [Aside: I went home and absent-mindedly stuck the jello in the freezer, creating something amazing.]

It's not like the girl didn't have anything to eat. Her mom and grandma made a delicious carrot cake, which Hero really enjoyed. She also tried and seemed to like bites of my soft pretzels. We adults loved them even more, and they didn't last the evening. You might want to make some yourself.





Soft Pretzels
Recipe from The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler by Lisa Barnes
Makes 48 2-3 inch pretzels

This recipe is milk free, nut free, and vegetarian. 2 pretzels have 80 calories, if you're interested. It's a good to make with older kids who can roll and shape dough, paint on egg, or sprinkle salt!

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
coarse salt, poppy seeds, or sesame seeds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 F. I used a baking sheet with a silicone mat, but you could also use parchment paper on the baking sheet.

Put the yeast in a large bowl with the warm water. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, flours, and one of the eggs. Stir with a fork to combine into a dough. Turn out onto a floury surface and knead until it is elastic (maybe 2-3 minutes), adding a little more flour if it's very sticky.

Tear off small pieces of the dough and roll into any shape you want (classic pretzels, circles, hearts, twists). You know what would be cute? Xs and Os -- they stand for "hugs and kisses" AND you can play edible tic-tac-toe!

Place an inch or two apart on your baking sheet. Brush with the second egg (beaten) and sprinkle with whatever you want to sprinkle them with.

Bake 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite mustard.

Halloween Preparedness

On a night when there is a lot of candy consumed (traditionally), it seems smart to incorporate a healthy snack into one's costume.

Another excellent idea I witnessed but didn't get a photo of was Sarah as a French woman with a fresh-looking baguette of bread at her side. Beyond the snacking possibilities, she got extra points for being one of the brave who carry props in hand as part of their costumes. It is a little inconvenient, and as such suggests a level of dedication to the look.

Hats (adorned with apples) off to you both!

Gentlemen at snack.

From the blog of Matt Cassity:
Wednesday — Poker night. August won. I made a menu of snacks curated by Jenny.

---

True. My new occupation: Snack Curator.

Here are the items we discussed as possible poker night snacks.

Matt's restrictions:
Savory
Vegetarian
No stove top or microwave
(He does have a toaster oven and a crock pot. I didn't even utilize the crock pot. Next time.)

Idea one: Cheese toasts. You can put garlic or different spices on them. Or just cheese. I don't think he made these, but thinking about them made me want some.

Idea two: Globe grapes scooped out and filled with goat cheese then the goat cheese part can be dipped in chopped, salted pistachios. Matt couldn't find globe grapes so did this with cherry tomatoes.

Idea three: Provencal Olives (recipe below)
If you have 24 hours, you can refrigerate this mixture (anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week) and then strain the liquid off before serving:
3 c. black or green whole olives (not canned)
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T. sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (coarsely ground)
salt
1 T. chopped fresh (or 1/2 T dry) rosemary
1 1/2 T chopped fresh (or 3/4 tsp dry) thyme

Idea four: Union Square Care Bar Nuts (recipe below)
preheat (toaster) oven to 350 F
On baking sheet (or toaster oven equivalent), spread 1 1/4 lbs assorted unsalted nuts (Matt featured the Brazil nut, which is a crowd-pleaser of a nut if there is such a thing.)
Toast in oven until golden, about 10 min.
While toasting, in large bowl mix:
2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp. unsalted butter, melted
Toss nuts with mixture. Serve warm.

There was also some discussion of figs.

Even more religious snacking

I was raised in a strong church potluck tradition. One member of my childhood congregation called us the "Eat 'til You Die Baptist Church." I remain appreciative of good church potluck spreads.

But I thought that the ordination service I attended this past Sunday was only being followed by a basic "reception." You know -- nuts in a bowl, pillow mints, punch. I was wrong. That's not how this NYC church rolls. First, I saw that there were copious desserts. I ate a brownie immediately.



And then I walked to the other side of the table. Savory stuff, too?! Belinda Carlisle was right.


By the way, I had a lot of some sort of cheese ball with what I think was jelly or preserves in the middle (to be spread together on crackers). Wow. It was so weird looking I knew it had to be excellent.

Snack Religion!

No, this anonymous partygoer didn't watch a creepy, posessed video tape before I took his photo. But he did catch a thrown grape in his mouth on the first try as the shutter snapped. I offer this photo to you because what says "fun, casual cocktail party" better than a photo of someone catching a grape in his or her mouth?

Even better than a "normal" cocktail party, this was a theological cocktail party. Well, it turned out to be more of a political cocktail party (because it was the evening of Obama's speech at the DNC), but the event is to recur. I'll definitely attend again, and not just because this could be the most appropriate snacking event series ever for a weblog called Snackreligious.



Alas, photos without flash were just not working. But there was a lot of good snacking material there. I brought Whole Foods' Two-Bite Brownies for the group. There were also various chip, nut, cheese, and fruit options. Then, something magical occurred.



Just before Obama's speech, I noticed I had set a cup full of Coke down on the counter next to a container of honey-roasted peanuts.



Hey, how did those get in there?