Local cookie walks and tours offer a sweet taste
Christmas is often synonymous with cookies, yet not everyone has the time — or desire— to roll up their shirt sleeves and get busy in the kitchen. Here’s one easy solution: attend an annual cookie walk for a taste of the season.
With the pandemic behind us, several churches and other organizations are once again holding cookie events in which members bake holiday goodies and offer them for sale to raise money.
One of the area’s biggest walks — and something of a boon if you’re looking for a free nibble or two — is the annual Lawrenceville Cookie Tour on Dec. 10-11.
This is the 24th year for the selfguided walk mostly along the Butler Street corridor. That makes it even older than Lawrenceville Corporation, the nonprofit community organization that now sponsors it. (They organized in 1998).
As of late November, more than 50 local business have signed up, either as stops for giveaway homemade cookies or break stops where participants can warm up with hot chocolate or go to the bathroom.
Unlike other cookie walks, this is primarily for people who don’t normally do a lot of shopping within the district so they can be reacquainted with all the city neighborhood has to offer.
“It’s exciting for businesses to know it’s a big day where they’ll meet a lot of people and sales will be increased,” says Abi Gildea, business district and communications manager for Lawrenceville Corporation.
New faces joining longtime participants such as Wagner Shoes and Gerbe Glass this year include Coven Brewing and Chantal’s Cheese Shop, across from Children’s Hospital in neighboring Bloomfield.
Chris Loughran, who opened the Penn Avenue cheese shop in 2018 with his wife, Anais Saint-Andre, said they just missed signing up last year. “But our neighbors at Songbird Artistry had a good time doing it, so we thought we would go ahead and try.”
To showcase what the shop has to offer, and because everything he makes includes cheese (including ice cream), Loughran plans on
offering samples of three dairy-forward cookies: a twist on homemade peanut butter cups crafted with Ossau-iraty, a French cheese made from sheep’s milk; a traditional shortbread made with beurre d’isigny butter from France; and a savory thumbprint made with Praire Breeze Cheddar from Milton Creamery in Iowa.
Holiday shopping can be stressful, “so we want to make it as much fun as possible, and free cookies are a way to get people feeling a little lighter.”
Caiti Sullivan of Coven Brewing, which took over Roundabout Brewery’s space on Butler Street in April, is also excited to join this year’s tour.
“We’ve had a couple really good neighborhood events, like the art crawl in July,” she says, “and a cookie tour seems like a good excuse to get people to the brewery.”
While she’s still deciding what kind of cookies her husband, Trevor Greer, will bake, tourgoers can expect a new cookie-inspired imperial stout flavored with caramel cacao nibs. “Velvet Coffin” will be on draft for sampling.
“As many people who want to come out, we’re ready for it,” she says. “And if we run out, it will still be a party and who doesn’t love a party?”
The tour runs noon-5 p.m. both days. For a map of participating businesses and restaurants, visit lvpgh.com.
And if you’re also looking to buy some cookies? Here are some other cookierelated events worth checking out:
Irwin Christmas Cookie Tour
Irwin’s historic downtown cookie tour is a favorite for getting in the mood for Christmas. This year’s event on Dec. 9 includes
horse-drawn carriage rides, karaoke and a sugar cookie decorating workshop for kids. There also will be cookie samples at local businesses. It runs from 5-8 p.m. in the downtown business district.
Holy Trinity Cathedral Christmas Cookie Sale
Parishioners at this Serbian Orthodox church have made scores of delicious desserts for your holiday enjoyment. In addition to a wide selection of specialty Christmas cookies (priced at $15 per pound) — parishioner and baker Doreen Leech says there will be a least 60 varieties — you’ll also choose from nut, apricot, raspberry and poppyseed rolls ($18 each), depending on what’s left (presales closed Nov. 28). Or load up instead on nut horns and lady locks (boxes of 10 for $14).
The event runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 3 in the church’s social hall at 450 Maxwell Drive, Whitehall. Cash, checks and credit cards will all be accepted.
19th annual St. Matrona Cookie Walk
Sure, there will be iced cut-outs at Sts. Peter & Paul
Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s annual cookie fest. But the real star of this annual walk on Dec. 10 is the amazing array of Eastern European holiday cookies, including jamfilled kolache and hamentashen, ladylocks, pizzelles and melt-in-your mouth snowballs. Homemade nut rolls ($15) and gluten-free cookies also will be available; cookies are $ 10 a pound and some will be prepackaged. It runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the church hall at 220 Mansfield Ave., Carnegie.
United Women of Faith Cookie Sale
Parishioners at Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church are offering two sizes of homemade Christmas cookies for pickup. A large box of assorted cookies costs $20, while a small runs $10. To reserve, they must be pre-ordered by Dec. 1 by calling the church office at 412-531-7131. Pickup is from 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 10 and before and after church services Dec. 11 at 3319 W. Liberty Ave., Mt. Lebanon.
City of Bridges Running Group Cookie Exchange
OK, so you have to, um, actually exercise to take advantage of the group cookie exchange on Dec. 17 put on by this volunteerrun organization for runners. But it can be as little as 3 miles, at many different paces, even a walk, and then you won’t feel so guilty about eating all those goodies! It starts at 8 a. m. at Allegheny City Brewing, 507 Foreland St., North Side. Registration is required at www.cityofbridgesrunclub.com.