Gilbert Cruz

All right, we're going to take a quick break, and when we come back, we'll answer some reader questions about cookies, holiday entertaining, and more.

We might even have a cocktail question in there.

We'll be right back.

Okay, so a few weeks ago, we asked New York Times readers to send us questions about holiday baking, cooking, and entertaining, and we got a ton.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a question.

Since we only have so much time, we've picked questions that in most cases, many people wrote us about, and we're going to take on cookie questions first.

Kathleen in Dallas, Texas wants to know if there are three cookie varieties that, quote, use the same base dough,

Unquote.

And can save her time by just mixing up what the final additions to that dough might be.

Oh, my God.

Another reader, Sam in Boston, says that, quote, four decades at holiday time, specifically on Christmas Eve, my family and I would bring treats to our local fire department.

Last year, a close friend who is a firefighter reported that his fire department gets inundated with cookies at holiday time, unquote.

This is good to know.

Sam from Boston wants to know if there are savory items that they could be making instead.

That's brilliant.

Listeners, we're recording this at 10 in the morning.

I'm so hungry right now.

Do you have any suggestions, Melissa, for savory options?

That's very simple.

Firefighters, notoriously hungry, hungry people.