Of all the months in the year, December is arguably the most cookie-forward. The NYT celebrates Cookie Week, publishing a perfectly balanced assortment of new and exciting cookie recipes. Chefs and amateur bakers alike host cookie parties and kids put out plates of cookies in offering to Old St. Nick. Family recipes are dusted off – spritz cookies, rugelach, biscotti, the list goes on and on. Cookies are king in December. 

Last year, in the spirit of cookie-month, a dear friend and I decided to participate in another cookie-related tradition: the holiday cookie tin (aka the Christmas Cookie Box). For some folks, the act of baking a variety of cookies en-masse to fill tins/boxes to share with friends and family is an annual endeavor. For my friend and I, it was a first. However, we were excited to take on the challenge. 

We made a list of cookie recipes we were excited to make, trying to achieve the perfect balance of flavors, textures, and shapes in the process. I put all the quantities of ingredients in a spreadsheet so we could tabulate total cups of flour, sticks of butter, eggs, and the like. On a Saturday afternoon, she brought over her stand-mixer so we could double our cookie-making capacity, and we baked non-stop. Over the course of the day we made over 250 cookies. We packaged them in tins, wrote out an index of recipes and allergens and signed off with holiday well-wishes to our recipients. Thanks to USPS priority mail, they were in the hands of our friends and family within a few days and wow, were they well-received. 

Each message included pictures of people enjoying the cookies, tales of who they shared them with, and often a stack ranking of their favorite recipes. To say my heart was warmed would be an understatement.

I was so inspired by the entire event that a few weeks later (after also seeing a flood of cookie-related content on Instagram) I came up with the idea for Savor Tooth Snacks. And here we are, one year later. 

This year, we made cookie boxes again. We convinced another friend to join our cookie bake-a-thon, in the process expanding both productivity and ambition. While last year we had made 6 different cookies, this year, we expanded our list to 8. And because we needed to support another person’s worth of cookie recipients, we estimated that we would need to make nearly 600 cookies in total. By the numbers, it wound up being: 

• 40+ sticks of butter 
• 40+ cups of flour
• 30+ cups of sugar (powdered, granulated, and dark brown) 
• 3 dozen eggs
• 25+ tins of cookies distributed to friends, family, doormen, neighbors, and colleagues 

The number of happy cookie customers? I honestly don’t know. That’s the thing about cookies – when you have them, your instinct is to share them with the people around you. It’s probably my favorite part about the cookie-tin tradition. The joy that goes into them spreads exponentially, beyond just the initial recipient. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. 

So, without, further ado, here is our cookie recipe list for 2024: 

• Iced Peppermint Cookies by Melissa Clark 
• Maple Gingerbread by Natasha Pickowicz 
• Lemon Turmeric Crinkle Cookies by Eric Kim 
• Bûche de Nöel Cookies by Claire Saffitz 
• Jammy Shortbread Bars (Funfetti/Raspberry and Almond-Matcha/Yuzu Curd) from Sohla El-Waylly’s “Start Here” cookbook  
• Black Sesame Rice Krispy Treats by Eric Kim 
• Mole Chocolate Chip Cookies by yours truly, Savor Tooth Snacks 

Already looking forward to next year’s cookie bake-a-thon 🙂