Eat, Read, Go: Peppermint Crinkle Cookies, “Seeing Other People,” and Mendoza

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Saturday. After putting it off for several months, I finally got a haircut (for the three people wondering, it’s the definitive style of the year), and I’ll admit, I feel like a different person. So here’s what I’m tackling with my new, get-sh*t-done attitude:

• I’ll swap my basic button-downs for this if-you-know-you-know alternative, which is just as polished and versatile, but makes every outfit look even more elevated.

• After decades of feeling like a walking marshmallow, I’ll steal these tricks for how to actually look chic in a puffer jacket (the last one’s a revelation).

• To prep for my upcoming vacation, I’ll stock up on these nine essentials — aka the ultimate travel capsule wardrobe (my suitcase needs all the help it can get).

• Ahead of the (hopefully) snowy weather, I’ll whip up this Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens — so simple and supremely cozy, I made it every week last winter.

• Last but not least, I’ll try to erase from my memory the cringe comparison Taylor Swift used to describe a phone call with Travis Kelce (friends, it’s bad).

— Melissa Goldberg / Senior Editor / Washington, DC

This Is the Only Holiday Cookie Recipe You’ll Need This Year

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Listen, technically there’s no such thing as a bad holiday cookie. But the best ones hit a few key notes: They look decidedly festive, require zero pastry school credentials, and taste like you tried way harder than you did. Broma Bakery’s Peppermint Crinkle Cookies nail it. They’re as outrageously fudgy as the center of a pan of brownies, they pack just enough peppermint flavor without going overboard, and once they’re tossed in powdered and granulated sugar, they essentially decorate themselves. Basically, they’re guaranteed to be the star of any party — even if that’s a party of one.

The Time Commitment: All that separates you from holiday cookie nirvana is 30 minutes.

Key Tips: For the richest, most chocolatey flavor, Sarah Fennel (aka Broma Bakery) says it’s important to use Dutch-process cocoa powder. Particularly if you’re baking for any Anti-Peppermint Loyalists (in which case, simply leave out the peppermint extract). Also, while the recipe calls for a stand mixer, a hand mixer works too.

Other Takes: For more holiday desserts you’ll return to year after year, try…

• Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars — essentially, everything you love about the classic (the soft and buttery texture, the sprinkles), without the chilling, cookie cutters, or fancy icing. 

• Teddy Graham Marshmallow Banana Cookies. Consider this a reminder that your childhood favorite still holds up, especially when it’s paired with brown butter, butterscotch chips, and cinnamon. 

• Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Glaze, which to be clear, aren’t the dry, rock-hard ones your grandma made. Instead, they’re thick and chewy, dipped in a ridiculously good glaze, and decorated with festive sprinkles.

Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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Let’s be real: Getting ghosted sucks. But getting haunted by your ex? Even worse — and that’s precisely what happens in Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s Seeing Other People. The slow-burn romance follows Morgan, who’s being shadowed by the ghost of a guy she went on exactly one date with. When she attends a support group for the haunted, she meets Sawyer, who’s dealing with the opposite issue: He’s struggling to keep the fading memory of his fiancée alive. To help solve each other’s problems, Morgan and Sawyer team up — and yeah, you can see where this odd couple is headed. What you won’t see coming? Just how much heartbreak and humor comes with it. We asked real-life couple Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka a few questions. Here’s what they had to say…

Q: What’s the last thing you read that you can’t stop thinking about?

Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka: The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie. [It’s] such an epitome of how to combine the structure, tropes, and enduringly delightful moments of a romance novel with the real, messy, and complicated nuances of a complete life. We loved it and have drawn recent inspiration from its vivid charm.

Q: What’s one thing you can’t stop listening to?

Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka: The video we recently took of our 10-month-old daughter busting up in exuberant laughter when we tickle her. If only we could put it on a playlist. (It’d be called “Giggles,” and it’d break every record for a debut.)

Q: What’s the one place everyone needs to visit?  

Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka: Antico Forno pizzeria in Venice. It’s a simple, easygoing shop with a line always out the door. We honeymooned in Italy for a couple weeks, and this place is the number one destination we reminisce about.

Say It With Us: Mountains, Malbec, and Mendoza

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As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at some of our favorite travel destinations of 2025. Enter: Mendoza, Argentina, where it’s currently peak summertime. A short flight from Buenos Aires, the sun-soaked, desertlike region grows more malbec than anywhere else in the country (and probably, the world, thanks to some 1,000 wineries) and is home to dramatic mountain peaks (including one of the famed Seven Summits), outdoor activities aplenty (the city is partially bordered by the Andes), and a vibrant food scene. Salud.

🛏 Spending the night at Finca Adalgisa Wine Hotel feels like staying with a friend — if said friend happened to have a charmingly rustic house surrounded by over 100-year-old malbec vines. Nestled at the foot of the Andes, the fourth-generation property (which is also a working vineyard and winery) offers 11 Tucson-style rooms, Argentine cooking classes, a lush garden peppered with cozy reading nooks, and a complimentary glass of vino each evening. That said, if you’d prefer to stay in the heart of the city, you can’t beat the Park Hyatt Mendoza.

🍷 Mendoza is Argentina’s answer to Tuscany or Bordeaux. While you can easily sip local wines in and around downtown (don’t miss Bodega Los Toneles), a day trip to the Uco Valley is well worth the 75-minute drive. This region boasts some of the country’s most renowned bodegas (or, wineries), so be sure to book a tasting at Zuccardi Valle de Uco (once crowned the “World’s Best Vineyard”), Salentein (a pioneer in the area’s winemaking), and Bodega La Azul, celebrated for its sauvignon blanc and the parrilla-style lunches at its restaurant.

⛰️ When you’ve had enough wine (it’s indeed possible) and need to touch grass, head to General San Martín Park and take a quick hike up Cerro de la Gloria for some of the city’s best views. Feeling extra adventurous? Drive to Embalse Potrerillos, where you can admire the vivid green-blue water or embark on a kayak or horseback riding tour with Potrerillos Explorer. Whatever you do, stop at Termas Cacheuta before heading back to town, so you can soak in the relaxing thermal pools and enjoy other spa treatments.

🍴 You can’t visit Argentina without eating medialunas (essentially the love child of a brioche and croissant), and one of the best places to do that is Bröd. For dinner, try Fuente y Fonda, a local fave where comforting dishes like osso buco empanadas and milanesa are meant to be shared and dessert is always on the house. Or, for something more upscale, indulge in one of the tasting menus at Michelin-starred Azafrán, which makes use of the region’s “gastronomic paradise.” After dinner, walk over to Arístides Villanueva to explore the city’s buzzy nightlife scene and grab a cocktail at Gingger.

We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:

Q: The same friends have come to my place for Christmas dinner the past few years, but I’m thinking of mixing it up and having a different group this year. What’s the most tactful way to let my regulars know?

“You need to treat this very gently and put yourself in their shoes, but also be honest. We’re all adults, and no one needs to make up a white lie. So say: ‘This year, we’re changing it up a bit and inviting some friends over who we haven’t been able to host previously, but we’d love to find another time to celebrate together — whether it’s a New Year’s holiday cocktail or a Sunday evening roast.’ You want to let them know that even though you’re going in a different direction for Christmas, you still want to create new memories with them. It’s about keeping it light, keeping it focused on the alternative, and making sure that the alternative is equally or even more special. It’s also important to tell them well in advance. As a host, it’s our responsibility to be mindful of our guests, [and that includes] making sure they have ample time to make other plans.”

Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.