12th Annual St. Nicholas Cookie Walk
St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church - NYC Landmark
288 E. 10th Street, Corner of 10th St. & Ave. A, East Village
Q. My child has a severe nut allergy. Would it be safe for him to attend the Cookie Walk? Are there cookies I can get for him?
Q. I ate a cookie that had cranberries, pistachios and I think a hint of orange. Can I get the recipe?
Captain Cookie: Absolutely. We use recipes that have been handed-down from generation to generation, are in cookbooks, magazines, on the internet. We test them all (everyone's favorite part) before including them in the final cookie list. The one you are asking for is a favorite by many. Enjoy! (and we promise not to send you the recipe we use - that is unless you want to make about 1000 cookies.
Q. I am coming for the Cookie Walk, but can I get a tour of the Church? (I am an architecture student)
Captain Cookie: Of course - we welcome you and all visitors to see our beautiful church. We will have tours throughout the day. Thank you for asking.
Cookie Walk FAQs
(Real questions from the website & asked at the CW)
Captain Cookie: I wish I could give you a better answer, but I would not be able to guarantee that a nut would not somehow get into a cookie without nuts. And, there are nuts in cookies throughout the cookie display area. Depending on the level of allergy, we do have a "Little Elves Workshop" where kids can make their own sweet treat. We also have crafts that do not involve food. There is no cost to this activity. Plus, Santa is available for pictures in our photo booth and our hot chocolate is nut free. It could still be a fun afternoon for you both.
Q. That was the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. Can I get the recipe?
Captain Cookie: Thank you for the compliment! The recipe is a family secret - made from Belgian chocolate cocoa, heavy cream, milk, sugar and a drop of real vanilla. No Swiss Miss here. Then, we whisk while stirring for about a half hour so the chocolate can melt throughout. That is the secret.
Q. I only want a box of rugelach. Is that okay?
Captain Cookie: I am sorry, but we just cannot do that as much as we would like to accommodate your request. A bakery box of cookies can hold about 70 rugelach. We make between 500 - 1,000 of each cookie so if we allowed only one kind in a box, only 14 people at most would get the rugelach. If that is the kind of cookie you like, we can make suggestions for other cookies that are similar in taste and ingredients.
Q. If I buy a photo with Santa, can I also take a picture with my cell phone too? I love your props.
Captain Cookie: Absolutely. The $5 cost for the photo with Santa covers the paper, ink and photo frame. Santa is here visiting to brings smiles - those are free to be captured by your cell phone.
Q. Why do you not have any gingerbread cookies in your Cookie Walk?
Captain Cookie: That is a good question. When we decide on what cookies to include, there are many criteria including being very sturdy, delicious and nice addition to a cookie tray. A very important aspect is whether a cookie's aroma will overwhelm the box and all cookies then taste like it. There are certain cookie ingredients that are too powerful. Gingerbread is one. Butterscotch, as we found out the hard way, is another. The ginger molasses cookie may do the trick for your gingerbread craving.
Q. I want to start a Cookie Walk at my church. Help!
Captain Cookie: I get asked this question a lot from all over the country! I have created a template for a simplistic Cookie Walk which I can email to you. The St. Nicholas Church Cookie Walk took years to develop and would be difficult to replicate in other areas of the country at this scale.