Of all the treats that creep into shops and homes this season, there is none more quintessential than cookies and milk.
To many, they’re a delicacy reserved for the holidays. For small businesses across Northeast Ohio, it’s their daily passion, to bring the delight of perfected recipes to their communities and create memories.
“I grew up on the farm,” says Jace Hartzler, third-generation owner of Hartzler Dairy. “I had a direct connection with the land, with nature, and a lot of people don't get to experience that. So what we're trying to do is help people experience as close to natural milk as you possibly can get.”
“Cookies have the ability to open up your inner child and make something so simple bring you some unexpected joy,” says Travis Howe, owner of Fat T’s Cookies. “There is also a big guy in a red suit that loves cookies.”
Shop local, while treating yourself, your friends and your family to cookie-and-milk pairings to savor all year. And don’t forget to share with Santa, too.
(Courtesy Fat T's Cookies)
The Merry: Smith’s Eggnog + Fat T’s Cookies Santa’s Sack Cookie
Ring in holiday cheer with flavors that define the winter season. Ditch the milk for eggnog, and opt for Smith’s classic take on the Christmas delicacy, made with real nutmeg. Pair it with Santa’s namesake cookie from Fat T’s Cookies for more festivity. Emulating his red suit and white beard, the red velvet cookie is stuffed with melty cream cheese frosting and topped with white chocolate. “We specialize in quarter-pound cookies that are not only bigger than the average cookie but tastier and more unique,” Howe says. “We promise to deliver happiness a quarter pound at a time.” smithsbrand.com, fattscookies.com
(Courtesy Ellie May's Gourmet Cookies)
The Classic: Buckeye Country Creamery Whole Milk + Ellie May’s Gourmet Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookie
Stick to the staples, and keep them local. Buckeye Country Creamery’s A2/A2 whole milk is rich in protein while delivering the creamy flavor you crave. Dip simply with a gooey, rich chocolate chip cookie from Ellie May’s Gourmet Cookies; there’s no need to mess with perfection. Take them plain or add your choice of pecans or walnuts to your cookie batch. “During the holiday season, our sales pace changes significantly,” says Ivy Burge, owner of Ellie May’s Gourmet Cookies. “There’s lots of pre-orders for parties and events, and of course, the last-minute, ‘We need desserts for tomorrow.’ We love the pace and the opportunity to provide a quality product to our loyal customer base.” buckeyecountrycreamery.com, elliemayscookies.com
(Courtesy Hartzler Dairy)
The Bold: Hartzler Dairy Orange Cream Milk + Colossal Cupcakes Everything Cookie
Feeling fatigued by the same, old flavors? Take your milk and cookie game outside the box with bites that are hard to find and hard to beat. Get all the flavors at once in a cookie stuffed with pretzels, toffee, chocolate chips, Oreos and pecans — the Everything specialty at Colossal Cupcakes. Hartzler, the Wooster-based dairy farm known famously for its seasonal stints, offers its endearing flavor combos like orange cream, making milk a dessert of its own. “There's treats, and then there's health foods,” says Jace Hartzler. “Our milk or butter or cheese — all of those are health foods at the end of the day. Then, we like to come up with new and unique flavors not only to build the brand but to really build the quality. Allowing people to have the choice between a health food and a dessert is a very important thing for us to delineate.” hartzlerdairy.com, colossalcupcakes.com
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