The holidays find many of us baking in the kitchen, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to creatively integrate the concepts of STEAM education, or science, technology, engineering, art and math, into holiday festivities with children. Every day at the Milliken Guest House, Executive Chef Matt Ryan creates new recipes for guests at our global headquarters. Discover the role innovation plays within his kitchen, why the holiday season brings out his imaginative side, and a favorite cookie recipe for you and your family to enjoy. 

At its heart, cooking and baking are both scientific and artistic. Understanding the science behind a recipe, and how to rework the measurements to achieve a desired outcome, inspires Matt’s work. It’s a knowledge of STEAM concepts, coupled with experience in the kitchen, that make a reliable cooking principle; for example, an awareness of how humidity and temperature interact is necessary to successfully bake bread.

Every day at the Milliken Guest House is a new creative challenge — a new menu for guests to enjoy — particularly during the holiday season. Matt shared, “there is a significant amount of behind-the-scenes trial and error in creating a new dish. When experimenting with a certain mix of ingredients, we uncover what works and what doesn’t work in the process. This creativity pushes us forward in developing innovative recipes.”

When baking holiday cookies, an exact mix of ingredients and a specific temperature are required to consistently achieve delicious results, and incorporating your favorite toppings and holiday shapes allow for an artistic twist. Chef Ryan shared a couple of his favorite holiday cookie recipes for your family to measure, bake and enjoy this holiday season. He’s even included a beloved chocolate chip cookie recipe we’ve been making at Milliken for decades.