Holiday cookie swap is getting a Milwaukee-sized upgrade

One of the biggest food brands in the country has been sharing some home-cooked recipes for decades, and it all happens right here in Milwaukee. Brian Cramp is at Taste of Home getting a behind-the-scenes look at the people and the recipes that keep America cooking. Hey, Cramp. Yeah, Derek, I don't know if a lot of people know this, but Taste of Home started in Greendale in 1993. Now the home base is in Schlitz Park. And if you have an idea for a cookie, maybe you submitted one to Taste of Home at some point. Maybe your recipe was even in one of these books. But Ellie, this is exciting because a lot of people don't even know that you guys are in Milwaukee, right? We are here. Yeah, we've been here this whole time since 93. And we're collecting people's recipes, we're testing them in our test kitchen, and then we're publishing them in our magazine, our cookbooks, on tasteofhome.com. All over the country, Canada as well, and I know that you've got people that are reading your magazine both in hand and online, but it's not just the Taste of Home, the brand here with Trusted Media Brands, I mean you have the Reader's Digest, you've got Taste of Home, Christmas Cookies, which we're holding, Handyman, Family Handyman, and Birds and Blooms, I know that you have a strong following, but what magazine do you think has the strongest following, would it be? Reader's Digest is probably the biggest, yeah, but Taste of Home has 8.1 million person reach. That is 8.1 million. 8.1 million? Yes. What makes this brand special, specifically Taste of Home? Yeah, so... All of our recipes come from home cooks, and we here at Taste of Home are home cooks, too. So we know what people like. We like to make sure that they work in your kitchen, like I said, so that when you get a Taste of Home product, you know that that recipe is going to be good, it's going to be high quality, and it's going to be a new favorite in your kitchen. I mean, I love the magazine because there are so many options, you know, and you can just tuck this in the kitchen, you can tuck it in the magazine rack, and you can always depend on it and go back to it. I mean, this thing is loaded. Now, this one, is it on the shelves right now? Yep. Okay. You can find it at your grocery store checkout aisle. Yeah. You can find it in the magazine section, somewhere like Barnes & Noble. Yeah. Yep, all over the place. 108 treats to share. Did you make any treats for us, by the way, today? Oh, yeah, we did have some treats for you around the corner. But did you make any? I did not make any. Okay. Well, we can probably whip one together in the next couple hours to taste test. For you, it's got to be a blast working here. You've been here for more than 15 years. What stands out about how great this company is? The people. The people are the absolute best. Everyone's so talented, so creative, they're so funny, and everybody just brings their best to work every single day. It's just a pleasure. Well, we're going to see a lot of the best, too, and actually, there is a cookie exchange. The first time it's happening, the Milwaukee Cookie Exchange, with 300 different bakers 22,000 cookies will be on hand, and if you want to be a part of this Milwaukee Cookie Exchange, it's happening in December, but Taste of Home is putting it on, and we're going to give you details on that. Not right now. We're going to go down the hallway. We're going to go into some of the test kitchens today. We're going to show you why Taste of Home is so special, but we are going to get you the details on how you can bring your sweet treats and cookies to the Milwaukee Cookie Cookie Exchange in December. More coming up from Taste of Home here in Splits Park, downtown Milwaukee, guys, and more Fox 6 Wake Up coming back after the break. Can't wait to see the test kitchen. Swamp is getting a Milwaukee-size upgrade with a big celebration for local bakers. Brian Cramp is finding out how the Taste of Home is bringing everyone together for its Milwaukee Cookie Exchange. Hey, Cramp. I'll tell you what, Erica, if you like baking, you like making cookies during the holiday season, this is definitely for you. Mark joining us. You've been here with Taste of Home for 25 years. Can you believe in 25 years of being with Taste of Home, this is the first Milwaukee cookie exchange you guys have ever done? It is a little surprising, but it's also really exciting. You can't wait to do it. It's going to be so fantastic on December 9th. We're really, really pumped. Yeah. First of all, I love the studio that we're in because this is where a For a lot of the videos that you guys create, are actually done. If you look around, it's exactly what it is. It's meant to be a beautiful space where we can film in. So thanks for staging everything today. Welcome to our kitchen. Let's get to the Milwaukee Cookie Exchange that's happening December 9th. How do we become part of it? What do we need to do? Well, it's the Taste of Home Christmas Cookie Exchange, December 9th, like you said. You want to go to eventbrite.com, eventbrite.com, just search for Taste of Home Cookie Exchange, you'll find it. That is where you buy your tickets, and you can come on down and enjoy the excitement of the Taste of Home Cookie Exchange. Right, now you can buy the tickets, but what else do you need to do in order to get those tickets? It's so easy, Brian. So you're going to buy a ticket, and then you're going to bake six dozen cookies, which I know sounds like a lot. But that really isn't, considering that a basic cookie recipe makes several dozen. Yeah. So you're going to bring your six dozen family favorite cookies to the cookie exchange. And then you get to walk around and sample thousands of other Christmas cookies. And then you bring home a box of dozens of Christmas cookies for yourself to take home. Okay, so if I have a favorite cookie, let's just say it's a gingerbread, right? Yes. You have to make all those cookies in advance. Yes. But this is going to sell out. I mean, let's be honest. This is the first one of its kind. So by going to Eventbrite to get the tickets right now, you are still needing to bring cookies. You can't just go there and eat, can you? Yes and no. So if you bring your six dozen cookies and you buy your ticket, you can also bring a guest. Now that guest gets to buy a ticket at a discounted price. Very discounted price. Your guest doesn't need to bake the cookies. So this is great for couples. It's a great date night. But your guests can walk around and sample all of those great cookies. Your guests can also take advantage of the appetizer buffet that we have. We've got a cash bar with signature cocktails. So your guests can do all of that. They just don't get to bring home those fabulous cookies like you do as a baker. Okay, and this is going on December 9th at The Gage? Correct, The Gage in West Dallas. Beautiful event space. Are you baking for this one? Next one. I'm more of a cook than a baker. I love cookies. It's my all-time favorite thing. I would imagine that there's going to be some standards there. But you probably have a favorite, right? My all-time favorite, you know, I got to tell you, I always go to the peanut butter blossom. That's the peanut butter cookie with the kiss in it. I think that's a favorite for many people, right? And by the way, too, guys, that Christmas Cookies magazine is also. On stands now, Fox Local, for more information, guys. Eventbrite, go there for the Milwaukee Cookie Exchange. It's from Taste of Home, first of its kind. It's inaugural year. 22,000 cookies will be there. Wow, Mark, thanks for the information. Thanks for holding such a great event as well. More Fox 6 Wake Up after the break. Not a lot, but I think that first one, at least for me, always kind of packs a punch. Well, we know that not every cookie is cut out for a holiday swap, especially when you need to bake, pack, and then transport large amounts of them. Brian Cramp is picking up some sweet tips from the experts at Taste of Home. So walk us through kind of what is this place and how can they help us with our cookies, Cramp? Oh my gosh, come on, Nicholas, taste of home, Taste of Home, the magazines, you know, they've been out since 1993. Home Base is right here in Milwaukee, and we are now in a test kitchen, which means this is the place that, Sarah, these chefs, great chefs, are cooking all the recipes that come in from your readers all over the world, right here, and they are testing them here. You can see they're making a lot of cakes, they're making a lot of cookies, but we're getting ready for your Milwaukee Cookie Exchange, which is coming up December 9th. And you're going to lead us through how, I guess, we should, right, do this? How to prep for a cookie swap. Absolutely. There's some good things to keep in mind. So you know you're going to go to a cookie swap, and there's one coming up. A Taste of Home on the 9th of December at the Gage in West Allis. So getting ready for that cookie swap. So what to think about first, three key things. You wanna think about flavor, that's important. Second thing you wanna think about is looks, right? Looks, the visual, super important. Yeah, I think the looks sometimes come first for some people. You know, the flavor, like it's a bonus if it actually tastes good. That's true. I mean, because some cookies are beautiful, but they don't taste, they don't live up to that standard. Right, you gotta have both. Yeah. And then practicality, that's the third one. So let's talk about how to get ready for a cookie swap. Yeah, what are these cookies, by the way? I'm gonna put on some gloves I think you're going to be We're going to be designing here. What are these called? These cookies? So these are Texas sheet cake cookies and these are going to be at the cookie exchange. Now these are a fun recipe because it's a Texas sheet cake, but made into a cookie. And so you've got all the great things that people love about Texas sheet cake in a cookie. It's got a soft cakey texture. It's got this like fudgy frosting. It's rich chocolatey. It's awesome. And we made these just yesterday. Okay. They're soft but they're set so that was one of the things when we talk about practicality make sure that the cookie you're bringing to a cookie swap if it's got a sticky frosting that it's set and it's cured and it's dried so that it can be arranged on the platter and you can transport it easily and it's not going to create a mess. Who baked these? Who did bake these? Monica? Dee? I did. Dee! Dee baked these. Dee, I tell you what, you better enter that cookie exchange because these are fire. They're so good, aren't they? I took one bite and I want to eat them all right now. They're fire. And here's the thing about the visual. We were talking about looks and how a beautiful cookie is really going to stand out from your platter. So, you know, they're beautiful just like this, right? But they're just a little brown. Sure. That's okay. But if you want to zhuzh them up a little bit. We do. When the frosting was a little sticky and fresh on the cookie, you would just sprinkle some decorations right on top, some sprinkles or whatever. You could also do a little flaky sea salt. Now, of course, these aren't going to stick right now because these have been, well, wait, maybe. Well, anyway, yeah, you can do it a little bit later. Now, for the Milwaukee Cookie Exchange, we need to bring 72 cookies. So, on a platter like this, that works? Well, you can transport the cookies to the cookie exchange in whatever you want. Whatever, you know, safe little... Tupperware container that you want and then when you get to the cookie exchange you're going to put them on a baking sheet that we have with parchment paper and they'll all fit on there and you're going to have your little samples and then your full cookies so people can sample and then and then do this. I'll tell you what Sarah, can we stay in here? Yeah we can. We're going to stay in here. We're going to go to break and and come back with more Fox 6 Wake Up but don't don't go anywhere because Taste of Home is having that Milwaukee cookie exchange and we've got to learn more about that and these delicious cookies. Dee, you're a magician in the kitchen over here. Well, most of us are thinking about, you know, holiday baking. The Taste of Home kitchen has been working on Christmas cookies since spring. Brian Kramb is getting a look at their latest creation, and an almond croissant cookie made from Milwaukee's Big Cookie Exchange. That sounds delicious. Oh, and Derica, don't worry. We're going to bring some back so we can try them during Real Milwaukee. At least that's what you told me. Yes. Sarah, okay. Great. I need the tips, all right? You know, the holidays can be a very stressful time, too. Totally. And we want to get everything crammed into, like, that one short week or even day for some people. Yeah. How do we prepare it when it comes to cookies? Well, you've got to plan it out. So you want to shop early. We know that, right? You want to make your cookie dough. And I think it's really great. People know this. A lot of people know it. To put your cookie dough in the fridge overnight. Let it sit so it just can hydrate that flour and just let it chill in the fridge overnight. And then you can make your cookies and after they're cooled, you can freeze them and you're ready to go. I mean, it really makes a lot of sense to freeze the cookies. They'll stay for one or two months, but you know, if you're taking them to a cookie swap, just freeze them for like a week or so before you go. Well, thank you for that too. Yeah. I mean, I didn't know the idea of freezing the dough ahead of time. Yeah. Or chilling the dough. Sorry, chilling the dough, not freezing it, yeah. Shut up, Brian, because if we go, it's a rock. But you've been here for 23 years, so you have all the tricks of the trade. Is this one of the best cookies that you guys have ever baked? Because it looks like it. Oh my gosh, this is the best. We are in extreme cookie baking mode over here. Yes, yes you are. And we recently tested this recipe and photoed it. It's amazing. And if you love almonds like I do, you're going to love this. It's the almond croissant cookie. And this we developed for Plura Butter. And it's amazing. And so what we have here is, well, there's almond everywhere. We've got almond in the filling, in the glaze, almonds on top, and basically we have the finished cookies here, but we're going to do a little extra zhuzhing on top. Okay. I think I've used that word too much already today. I like that word. All right, so what we're going to do is we've got the topping, we've got the glaze and the almonds. Yep. And we're just going to add a little extra. Yeah. And you can do that as well. And then I'm going to add extra almonds. What do you say? Oh, geez. Yeah, go for it. Back forth, back forth. You just, yeah, you just, you're like, it just came out viral now. So when you're doing this... Back and forth. Then you're throwing the almonds on right away because you want to make sure that they stick. You want them to stick. And then I'm going in with a little bit of coarse sugar to give it a little glisten. I like that the drizzle doesn't need to be perfect. No, no, no, no. Absolutely. And nobody needs to judge me that my drizzle is falling off the cookie. Absolutely. No judgment here. And we are in, like I said, full cookie mode. We are... We're in cookie season even in the spring when there is snow on the tulips. We are making cookies, and that gives us all the time to get recipes out for people in time for the holiday baking. All right, so I'll be the taste tester here at Taste of Home there. Look at that nice and soft cookie. I know that you guys will be reaping the benefit. Me bringing, oh my gosh. So good. I can't talk. Just take it away, guys. Taste of home. This is available online. All you got to do is just Google what? They're bringing cookies now. Almond croissant cookie at tasteofhome.com. They know how to do it right. You know, I will say, crap's not a bad with the drizzler. Yeah. I'm impressed. Those look really good. And talk about a recipe you could follow. Have you ever wondered how a family cookie recipe ends up in a national magazine or maybe on one of those... Fancy food websites. Well, Brian Cramp is going behind the scenes at Taste of Home to see how recipes are tested, styled, and photographed right here in Milwaukee. This is like a studio test kitchen operation. All in one. You said it, Nicola, too. And the magazine that's on the stands right now is this one with 108 options for you. And Sarah, back, I mean, you know, this right here, if you want to make a new cookie this year, this is the magazine to go to. There are so many amazing options. And it's not just for Christmas, too. I like that you're encompassing all of the holidays during this time of the season. Absolutely, there's a cookie for every time, season, everything you can think of. So we're here in the Fast Track kitchen and we're going to We're gonna go in the studio in just a minute, but here we've got the Gelt. Peanut butter blossom cookie that we're going to talk about today and you know one of the things I wanted to say is how does a cookie get from the pan to the page and so you know we get our recipes from our home cooks you know that our community of home cooks our editors they were they select the recipes that you know they know readers will love everything from favorite recipes to trending recipes which this one is it's new it's trending it's coming to be photographed today and it's like your traditional peanut butter blossom cookie Thank you. We've got a chocolate kiss, we've got a chocolate gelt, it's a chocolate coin that's traditionally associated with Hanukkah. So it's pretty great. I like it. It stays level too, so it doesn't pop up and pop off sometimes, which happens with that Hershey's kiss. All right, so we see this now, but you're going to take that. In the back, what happens as we go back here, what happens back here? All right, so we're going to meet Ellen, and she's shooting the cookie today. And she's shooting this today. It's probably going to be on our website in a matter of days. Ooh, that fast. Yeah, this is called Fast Track Studio. Hi, Ellen. Hello. All right, so back there. So you can come on over. Yeah, back there. So let's go back here, too. At some point, I'm going to have to probably grab one and just make sure that it's okay for everybody. Totally. Understandable. It is pretty fast. I understand why you call it the Fast Track Studio. From the cookie in hand, or being done, being baked, it's on the tray, next thing you know, it's on the table, and we're photographing it, just like that. I guess when you're looking at that too, at that Sarah, you can tell, you've been in the industry for a long time, like these are all great looking photographs. I guess, how do you pick and choose, like which one then goes to print? Well actually, we do a series of photographs. Ellen's gonna take, what, today you're taking three photographs of the Hero Cookies? Yeah, three or four, depending on the angle that we want. Yeah, okay, so let's stick with you, Sarah, here, and then just go to the computer here. So as you're taking those photographs, it goes from there to print, online, both? Yeah, so it goes to our website, tastehome.com, in just a matter of days. So people can find this recipe. Just keep your eye out on the website. It's Gelt Peanut Butter Blossom. Oh, just like that, too. So do you have yours? Oh, you know what? Those are for photographing only. I got my hand slapped earlier on. Oh, geez. One of the things that's got to be one of the most difficult. One of the things for you guys to be here and to be around the food is to not want to sample. Oh, jeez. So, like, how do you work that out? Like, how do you stay, I guess, away from the food? We're sampling all the time. Oh, you are? Okay, good. We'll have to take you to our food bar. That's where we put all the food. What? It's called the food bar. Okay. It's a magical place, and it's where we put all the food after we're done shooting it or testing it. And we walk by there all the time, and we're eating, eating, eating from the food bar. But, you know, because we're moving around, you know, we burn off those calories. Yeah, you guys are moving around. This place is like a maze over here. Yeah, it is. By the way, Taste of Home has been part of the area since 1993, started in Greendale off of there on Loomis, and Roy Rogers, I know he's passed now, but that guy has done so much not only for the city of Greendale, but also for the brand, too. Obviously, you have many other magazines under the umbrella right now, but Taste of Home, guys, been around for quite some time, and that annual magazine is out, and the cookie The big cookie exchange is happening December 9th at the Gage in West Allis. Thank you, guys. Looks great. Can't wait to bite into these things. I love all the effort that goes into it, not just the recipes, but like you think you're taking some phone pictures, like your lunch or dinner. Look at the camera set up right there. It's a studio. And you've got to give them props because they were doing it before the rest of us were, you know? The camera eats first, as we say. All right, Krim, thanks. But I love that the recipes are so doable also. We were talking yesterday about just being able to get the right science involved when it comes to making these. And, Erica, it's Angie in the kitchen getting this delicious soup that we just made. That was an amazing bump shot into the show. Anyway, back on track from test kitchens to holiday cookie swaps, Taste of Home has a lot going on for the upcoming holiday. Brian Cramp joins us live after getting a look behind the scenes. And Brian, I know a lot of people actually don't realize Taste of Home is here in Milwaukee. So what surprised you most about kind of how it operates? Yeah, it's a pretty big space down there in Schlitz Park. It used to be in Greendale, and I have to say that I've been at both locations. I didn't really recall how much space they had downtown in Milwaukee here. You know, with the studios down there, they have test kitchens, they have fast-track kitchens for photography to all the offices. You know, we probably saw only about 15% of the space today on Fox 6 Waco, but it was pretty impressive to see how a magazine that's been around since 1993 actually operates. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And of course, as we get ready, for the holidays. A lot of people are going to start making those cookies, wanting to share. So what's their secret to a great cookie swap? Great cookie swap is basically cookies, first and foremost. Get as many cookies as you can possibly get. So with that in mind, December 9th, Taste of Home is doing their inaugural event, and it's going to be at the Gage in West Dallas. This is where 300 people are going to be coming Coming together to really enjoy. Home-baked cookies, and it could be any type of cookie. It could be a favorite that's been passed down generations. It could be something that you find in a Taste of Home catalog or, excuse me, magazine, or you find online on one of their pages. But the idea is that we're bringing people together. They're making 72 cookies apiece, and then you're going to share it with all the participants coming up on December 9th. Yeah, I love this idea because instead of having to make like 12 different versions of cookies yourself, you just got to master one recipe. Then you can go hopefully make some new friends and leave with a ton of variety when it comes to your Christmas cookies, which of all of the cookies that you saw today, Brian, which one would you want to bring home? There was one, it was an almond croissant cookie, and just hearing that makes me think about that almond taste that resonated throughout the entire cookie. I mean, there's a nice frosting drizzle on there. It was super soft, but yet a little crispy on the outside as well. But that recipe you can find on Taste of Home's website. A lot of the recipes that you can find in the magazine that's out right now, their Christmas This is Cookie Magazine. They do this every season during the holidays. There's about 108 of them, and they're all sent in from their readers, and they're all passionate bakers, right? So they're sharing recipes that might have been in the family for a long time. But they're accessible for us, both not only on the newsstand, so to speak, but also online. Yeah, well, begs the question, are you a baker? No, I'll leave that one to my wife. Okay, so maybe your wife will be the one preparing the cookies for the cookie exchange, which remind us those details one more time for anybody who wants to take part. Right. So the best place to go is to Eventbrite. Go to the website and just type in Taste of Home and the Milwaukee Cookie Exchange. Now, the details are on December 9th of this event is happening and there's going to be close to 22,000 cookies there. But you need a ticket to get in. And not only do you need the ticket, the tickets are going to sell out probably pretty fast. They are available right now. So if you're a baker, you want to get into it. You can get into it that way, but you need to be going with a baker. You can't just buy your ticket and not bring cookies. Got it. You can go with a baker if they have a ticket and they bring cookies. But otherwise, 22,000 cookies, Haley, it's going to be hard to choose, and they better have a lot of milk and coffee for that event. That's right. We'll need a little bit of milk to have 22,000 cookies and get your tickets now. Don't wait. All right. This has been amazing. Thanks so much, Brian. Yeah, got it.