The founding of Phi Tau’s Milque and Cookies event is shrouded in mystery. According to Xander Eisenstein ’15, the event was apparently created many years ago as a joke when the College “said that there needed to be more ‘wholesome’ programming, and what’s more wholesome than milk and cookies?” Thus, a scrumptious tradition was born.
Photo by Zonia Moore
In the winter, Phi Tau’s Alice in Wonderland-themed event drew hordes of students to bake, watch movies and sample massive amounts of flavored milk and cookies with inventive ingredients. This term, as the last for many graduating ’14s, was slightly more bittersweet (pun intended). The fraternity’s seniors traditionally choose the spring theme. This year, the outcome was Saturday night’s Star Trek Milque and Cookies extravaganza.
Photo by Zonia Moore
When Milque and Cookies was founded, the fraternity opted for store-bought cookies (the horror!). The event has evolved since then and is now proudly 100% homemade. Baking, open to all of campus—including the ’18s here for Dimensions!—began on Thursday night and continued through Saturday morning. Bakers were provided with ingredients, equipment and entertainment in the form of countless Star Trek. They were invited back before the event to get first dibs at the treats.
Photo by Zonia Moore
After baking, the brothers of Phi Tau began the decoration stage. This centered around Star Trek-themed cutouts and costumes, complemented with crazy, outer-spacey lighting. Many of the brothers were garbed in intergalactic outfits, representing the franchise’s famous characters, such as Spock and Captain Kirk. As Xander says, “If there’s one thing Phi Taus love, other than cookies, it’s cosplay.”
Photo by Zonia Moore
The result: thousands of cookies, ranging from the classic chocolate chip to more eccentric varieties. Costumed brothers manned huge vats of “milque” in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and mint, both regular and lactose-free.
Some of the cookies were odes to Star Trek (“Deep Space Double Chocolate Chunk”); others detailed the ingredients (“Oatmeal Craisin Pecan”); even others were more ambiguous (a cookie just labeled “RIHANNA” comes to mind).
Photo by Zonia Moore
Crowd favorites included “Maple Bacon,” as well as “Fishes of Gold”, embedded with M&Ms and Goldfish crackers. Other highlights were the gluten-free macaroons and peanut butter toffee bars, and my personal favorite, the surprisingly tasty “Spinach Cookie.”
Photo by Zonia Moore
All in all, Phi Tau has proved itself to be Dartmouth’s “final frontier” for delectable, unconventional treats. If you like cool decorations, stuffing your face with homemade cookies, and having a good time, missing next fall’s Milque and Cookies would be…illogical.