Welcome to Volume 11 of Supper Club from The Nucleus Group! This is our last Supper Club before we go on break for the holidays. Thank you to all of you who join us every week. We have many more feasts planned for the New Year!

This week we’re bringing you a smörgåsbord of music from Monica Parker, articles about expletives and vacations, and a delicious, festive almond cookie bake courtesy of our CEO and resident baker, Elizabeth Talerman.

THIS WEEK’S CURATOR: Monica Parker has lived many lives, from being an opera singer to a homicide investigator to a world-renowned writer and speaker. Her book, The Power of Wonder, shaped so much of our thinking about wonder and curiosity this year. We are excited to share her playlist with you! Here’s what Monica has to say about her musical creation:

“They are the story of my life - from my childhood as a choir kid, my college days as a phishead, my twenties on Miami Beach, and my majestic married life. Each transports me.”

Here’s what we’re pondering this week:

1. These Animals Went Extinct in 2023, Mark Kaufman

2. The History of the F-Word, Kevin Dickinson

3. The Absorption Vacation, Anne Helen Petersen

RECIPE: Almond Bites (adapted from a recipe by Love and Olive Oil)

STORY: These chewy little amaretti cookies can be easily colored to make them festive. Elizabeth used matcha powder and freeze dried raspberries to color hers for the holidays!

RECIPE:

• 200g almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted

• 200g granulated sugar

• pinch salt

• 2 large egg whites (about 60 grams)

• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• confectioners’ sugar, as needed

• For green color: add 1 tablespoon (5g) matcha powder

• For red color: add 1 ounce freeze-dried raspberries, very finely ground (about 1/4 cup)

Stack two cookie sheets, one inside the other to keep bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown. Line with parchment or silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk almond flour + sugar + salt (+ optional flavor/color agent) until evenly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites + lemon juice until soft peaks form.

Add beaten egg whites mixture to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary.

Lightly dust hands with powdered sugar. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll balls in powdered sugar.

Arrange on baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

For soft cookies, bake for 30-35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just barely golden. For crunchier cookies bake an extra 5 minutes.

Note: These are best eaten the same day!

Wondering what’s for dessert?

Email us to suggest something sweet for next week’s Supper Club hello@thenucleusgroup.com