Google said earlier this year it would join other web browser companies to block third-party cookies in Chrome, and today, developers have their first chance to test a proposed alternative to tracking users across the web: trust tokens.
Unlike cookies, trust tokens are designed to authenticate a user without needing to know their identity. Trust tokens would not be able to track users across websites, because they’re theoretically all the same, but they could still let websites prove to advertisers that actual users — not bots — visited a site or clicked on an ad. (An explainer on GitHub suggests that websites could issue multiple different kinds of trust tokens, though.)
In addition, Google is making some tweaks to the “why this ad” button that lets you see why some ads are targeted to you. The new “about this ad” label will now provide the verified name of the advertiser, too, so you can tell which companies are targeting you, and make it clearer to people how Google collects personal data for ads. The new labels will begin rolling out toward the end of the year.
The company also announced an extension for its Chrome browser, currently in alpha, called Ads Transparency Spotlight, which should provide “detailed information about all the ads they see on the web.” Users will be able to see details about ads on a given page, see why ads are shown on a page, and a list of other companies and services with a presence on the page, such as website analytics or content delivery networks.
Last November, the Spanish Data Protection Authority (Spanish DPA) published its new Guidelines on the Use of Cookies within the framework of the GDPR and Spanish E-privacy rules. However, it went a bit further and distinguished itself from the general rule: the Spanish DPA considered that the “by browsing the website you accept the use of cookies” mechanism was acceptable. Less than a year afterwards, the Spanish DPA has stepped down and updated the Guidelines.
We already had the opportunity to describe the main highlights of the Guidelines on the Use of Cookies (Guidelines) in Engage. The content of the Guidelines has not changed much in comparison to last year's version, and the Guidelines still provide for the following information:
The definition of cookies, categories of cookies, and the relation between cookies and personal data protection. The Guidelines indicate which cookies are excepted from compliance obligations under Spanish Information Society Services and E-commerce Act.
Information duties and transparency with regard to cookie notices.
In-depth analysis on how to obtain consent, and when such consent is valid.
Analysis of the parties' responsibility in cookie use, and parties intervening in usage-based advertising processes.
The update of the Guidelines focuses on point 3 above, and is justified in the EDPB's own update of the Guidelines 05/2020 on consent earlier this year (which one may discuss it was not a mind-blowing update). In particular, these are the main changes that, for the Spanish market and based on the original Guidelines, are indeed material:
The “by browsing the website you accept the use of cookies” mechanism is abolished: consent must be granted by clearly "accepting" the cookies or carrying out similar actions to click "I accept". Browsing the website or the use of the scroll bar cannot be construed as an affirmative action. Examples provided in our previous Engage post are no longer valid.
No cookie walls: as established in the aforementioned Guidelines 05/2020, access to services and functionalities of the website cannot be made conditional on the consent to the cookies. Cookie walls not providing an alternative to the consent are not valid.
Access can be made conditional where (i) users are duly informed, and (ii) an alternative to the service / website is offered to the user without accepting cookies. Said alternative must be truly equivalent, and it would not be valid for such alternative to be offered by a company non-related to the website's editor.
The English version of the old Guidelines can be found here.
The Spanish DPA has given a 3 month truce (until October 31) for companies to adapt their websites, apps, etc., to the new criteria.
We love old-school pies and storied cakes more than anyone, but no one can argue that one of the most classic desserts of all time is the humble chocolate chip cookie. A warm chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk are as meant to be as peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti and meatballs. If you’ve been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, you’ve come to the right place. From our can’t-be-beat, All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe to our new favorite Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Recipe, we’ve got plenty of chocolate chip cookie recipes to choose from. Creative spins like Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies will keep your taste buds on their toes. And if you’re looking for something with presentation that wows, try our Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie or our Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Bake a batch for yourself and bring one to the neighbors, these are the best chocolate chip cookie recipes your kitchen has ever seen.
Fall is somehow right around the corner. We may not know the status of some of our favorite autumnal traditions (like, um, when Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte will be back!), there is already plenty of exciting fall news to get jazzed about. For one, Pillsbury will be bringing back its limited-edition Salted Caramel Apple cookie dough for us to eat all season long.
Sure, the idea of this cookie dough isn't exactly new—it's been coming around for the past couple of years. But one thing you'll notice is that it's currently rocking Pillsbury's new label that makes it safe to eat raw OR cooked. This means you can bake up a few to bring for your next socially distant picnic under the falling leaves while secretly and safely shoveling a few pieces of dough into your mouth. Ah, bliss.
As you can imagine, these little guys have insanely good reviews with people begging for them to be available year-round and several people calling them the best cookies they've ever eaten. I mean if that's not a ringing endorsement, I am not sure what is! What more do you want, eh?
These will probably start popping up at a store near you as we get closer to fall, and if you're looking for a place to go and snap them up, you can check Pillsbury's website where they have a product search function to find them at your local store. Then just be sure to pick up some cider and these Pumpkin Cream Cheese cookies and you're all set!
Kristin SalakyNews EditorKristin Salaky is the news editor at Delish.com covering viral foods, product launches, and food trends.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Last year, Google announced the “Privacy Sandbox” initiative to build a more private web through open standards. The biggest move was in January when Chrome said it would “phase out support” for third-party cookies. One alternative being proposed and now available for developer testing are “Trust Tokens” to deal with ad fraud.
Google’s two-year approach to getting rid of third-party cookies is of course informed by its ad business and how businesses on the web today work. It wants to offer privacy-preserving alternatives for ad selection and conversion measurement. To combat advertising fraud and identify real users, Google is proposing the Trust Tokens API.
Websites and other services will be able to determine whether a view/visit is from an actual user and not a bot. When verifying authenticity, Trust Tokens do so without revealing a user’s identity because they are all identical, thus preventing tracking across the web. The company notes how they are cryptographically signed by the issuer to prevent forgeries.
Trust Tokens are available now for developer testing, with Google planning to move to “live testing soon.” These proposals are being discussed in the W3C forum, with Google saying its “ads team is actively contributing to this dialog.”
Google supports first-party cookies to allow services to have direct relationships with customers but sees that third-party ones are being used to fingerprint and track users “in a covert manner.”
We believe that any attempts to track people or obtain information that could identify them, without their knowledge and permission, should be blocked. We’ll continue to take a strong position against these practices.
For many, the deprecation of third-party cookies by Mozilla, Apple and, soon, Google’s Chrome comes as the end of a chapter in online advertising.
But it is also the beginning of a new era.
A new IAB report, The State of Data 2020, reveals how the crumbling of cookies is fuelling several new trends:
US spending on third-party data in 2019 was up 6.1%, a slowdown from previous years, as marketers got concerned over the impact of cookie deprecation on the value of third-party data.
But spending on processing, managing and integrating first-party data grew 9.8%.
Privacy and regulation concerns have relaxed, causing a decrease in associated technology.
Investment in advanced TV data reached $700 million, up 19.5% from a year earlier.
For Orchid Richardson, VP Global Partnerships & Product Marketing at IAB Tech Lab, the cookie moves are the driving factor.
Advanced TV benefits
“I believe that the investment in advanced TV has a lot to do with the interest of the cookie transitioning and going away,” she says in this video interview with Beet.TV.
“Brands, advertisers, marketers are leveraging the advanced TV platforms as a way to get closer to their customers.
“That’s a great place for marketers and advertisers to be is in the advanced TV model.
“We expect it to continue to grow, when we look at companies like Samsung, Hulu, Adobe, who’ve made huge investments around programmatic, and so that you can bring your data to the table and advertising those channels.”
Advanced TV data represents 5% of spending on data alongside traditional analog channels and other digital channels, according to IAB. But it is growing fastest.
Pivot to first
Richardson says brands have been investing in the technology platforms required to make the pivot to first-party data.
That means using signals provided by real known users, with permission, rather than crumbs pieced together from around the internet, often without their express consent.
That means “everything from data hygiene, investment into DMPs (data management platforms) as well as investment into CDPs (consumer data platforms) as first-party data becomes more important”, she says.
Tensions across the country have increased over the past few months after the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks. Racial issues continue to plague the nation, and many are asking what they can do to lift up the Black community. One of the many ways to help is to support Black-owned businesses. The Madison area is home to a plethora of Black-owned food businesses. And what better way to stand with the community than by enjoying food that is so good it touches the soul? If you needed another excuse to enjoy these spots, Black Restaurant Week is Aug. 16-23.
Buraka
“Buraka” means joy and contentment in Oromo, a language widely spoken in Ethiopia and throughout the Horn of Africa. And enjoyment is exactly what you’ll find when you eat at this Madison restaurant. Coconut curry chicken, vegetarian peanut stew and customer favorite Dorowot, (chicken, carrots and spices in red sauce) are just a few of the East African and Ethiopian dishes served at Buraka. The food — often spiced with cumin, curry powder and garlic — is rich and full of flavor. You can have your meal served over rice or injera, an Ethiopian flatbread. Buraka isn’t famous only for its food — the restaurant offers a variety of Ethiopian coffees, too. 1210 Williamson St., 286-1448
CocoVaa Chocolatier
Give your taste buds a gift with chocolate from CocoVaa. CocoVaa offers a wide selection of infused bars, desserts and a variety of bonbon flavors like morello cherry caramel, matcha green tea and passion fruit mango caramel. CocoVaa’s chocolates have won 29 awards at the Academy of Chocolate Awards in London — one of the most prestigious fine chocolate competitions — since 2018. Syovata Edari started the business in 2016, all while running a law practice. The brand CocoVaa has personal meaning to Edari and reflects her heritage and history. She says everything in the shop is carefully created and curated with the deepest intention. “We tell stories through our creations and what we provide,” Edari says. “There is a fascinating back story to everything at CocoVaa.” 1815 E. Washington Ave., 888-803-6122
David’s Jamaican Cuisine
Photo by Eric Tadsen
Originally from Jamaica, David Blake moved to Florida and then to Madison in 1996. He and his wife, Pauline, opened David’s Jamaican Cuisine in July 2002. David’s jerk chicken, jerk pork and famous oxtails have kept customers coming back for years. They also serve catfish, salmon and vegetarian dishes like mango or pineapple tofu. David’s touts itself as a “friendly place,” and the big portions will leave you with plenty of leftovers to enjoy. Blake says the eatery offers nothing but the most authentic, fresh and delicious Jamaican food. “It’s always the best Jamaican food you can find in town — in all of Wisconsin,” he says. 5696 Monona Drive, 222-8109
Falbo Bros Pizzeria
Falbo Bros’ made-from-scratch dough and marinara sauce will have you running, not walking, to this local pizzeria. The spot is known for tasty pies that include choice of toppings as well as specialty pizzas like the Buffalo chicken (for some extra heat) or the Arizona Ranch, which replaces marinara sauce with a combination of ranch dressing and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce. The wings and salad add another dynamic to the meal. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, the hot and cold subs are a good choice. Most of the ingredients Falbo Bros uses are locally and regionally sourced so you know exactly where your food is from. Owner Keith Maggit also runs the north side Falbo Bros location. 406 S. Park St., 255-9090; 1207 N. Sherman Ave., 204-2723
JustVeggiez
Photo by Eric Tadsen
According to treehugger.com, Madison is the 14th best city in the country for plant-based eating. So it’s no wonder JustVeggiez is popular with vegetarians and vegans in Madison. JustVeggiez is a vegan catering and vendor service that provides healthier versions of your favorite foods, says owner James Bloodsaw. Bloodsaw opened the business in 2018 after more than 30 years of experience in the food industry. JustVeggiez doesn’t have a physical location yet, but you may see the company at events around town serving up its popular vegan Buffalo chicken sandwich. Eggplant Parmesan with noodles, stuffed peppers with sauce and plant-based vegan corned beef are just some of the items on the menu, along with several gluten free dishes. You can order pickup or delivery. facebook.com/justveggiez, 209-5070
Mo’ Betta Butter Cookies
If you’re looking for cookies that melt in your mouth, you’ll find them at Mo’ Betta Butter Cookies. Latisha McDuffy started baking in 2008 to provide an activity for children at her home day care and as holiday gifts for friends. The butter cookies McDuffy makes are reminiscent of the butter cookies she ate in Chicago public schools’ cafeterias. McDuffy ended up selling out of the cookies at the Black Women’s Business Expo, helping her decide to keep pursuing her business. And when she had to close her home day care due to her health, she decided to take the leap. McDuffy’s cookies burst with buttery goodness. If butter cookies aren’t for you, you can order Ruby Raisin (oatmeal with raisins and Craisins) or peanut butter cookies. 5662 King James Way, 209-2956
Savi Cafe & Catering
“We create homestyle dishes with fine-dining quality for a wide variety of tastes,” says Norman Davis and Eric Gavins, owners of Savi Cafe, located inside the Dane County Courthouse. Davis and Gavins are proud of their Taste of Madison award-winning baked mac and cheese and pulled pork sandwich. It’s no surprise the baked mac and cheese is a customer favorite. The dish is ooey-gooey cheesy goodness. Pick up Savi’s tacos on Tuesdays and Fridays, and after a long week, catch one of the seafood specials. Choose from Cajun-rubbed salmon, fried catfish nuggets or cod, baked or fried. While there is typically dine-in seating, due to COVID-19 they currently only offer takeout, delivery or catering. 215 S. Hamilton St, savicafecatering.com, 283-4903
Additional Black-Owned Businesses
Café Costa Rica Food Cart
Satisfy your appetite with “Latin soul food” from Café Costa Rica. Thony Clarke, also known as Mango Man, has been serving up rich and flavorful dishes in Madison since 2003. Enjoy a plate of the day with rice and beans, salad, yellow plantains and your choice of protein or vegetables. Find Café Costa Rica on Library Mall for lunch. mangomancooks.com, 352-8466
Kingdom Restaurant
Photo by Eric Tadsen
From fried chicken and yassa to a variety of hearty breakfasts and burgers, you can find it all at Kingdom Restaurant. Yassa is an African dish with chicken, vegetables and pepper sauce served with rice or couscous. The north side spot also offers fish, sandwiches and salad. Don’t forget to grab some ice cream for dessert. 1865 Northport Drive, 286-1238
Marie’s Soul Food
The baked mac and cheese at Marie’s Soul Food is so smooth and creamy, you’ll want seconds. The yams have just the right amount of sweetness. And the ribs are so tender, the meat practically falls off the bone. Marissa Holmes says she takes great pride in cooking her food. 1637 Monroe St., 405-5729
McGee’s Chicken
McGee’s Chicken offers comfort food in the best way possible. Start your meal with hot wings, pizza puffs or steak fries with cheese. Be sure to leave plenty of room for the main course, which could be a gyro, saucy barbecue rib tips or any one of a variety of sandwiches. And just maybe you can squeeze in the sweet and juicy peach cobbler or creamy banana pudding. 950 W. Main St., Sun Prairie, 318-2888
Melly Mells Catering
If you’re craving soul food like Grandma makes, check out Melly Mells. The barbecue chicken pairs well with Melly Mells famous mac and cheese, green beans with potatoes and a succulent corn muffin. In addition to running her business, Carmella Jackson spent the past few months making meals for low-income families. FEED Kitchens: 1219 N. Sherman Ave., 213-3020
RibMasters
While RibMasters is known for its juicy, mouthwatering ribs, the food truck offers other popular items, too. Feast on turkey tips, grilled chicken, tender pulled pork nachos and more. Many items come with french fries and bread for a complete meal. Check RibMasters’ Facebook page for times and locations. facebook.com/RibMastersWI/, 669-0955
This summer, Giada De Laurentiis has been churning out dessert hit after dessert hit. From the Food Network star’s two-ingredient granita to her no-bake chocolate almond butter cookies, we’ve made more desserts this year than ever before — and we’re far from done. Next on our to-bake list? De Laurentiis’ mouthwatering Magic Bars, a layered dessert that combines three of our favorite sweets.
“Cookie layer. Caramel layer. Brownie layer,” De Laurentiis writes on Giadzy’s Instagram post. “There’s a reason why [we] call these Magic Bars!”
De Laurentiis’ Magic Bars are anything but no-bake, but trust us when we say these dessert bars that boast a layer of chocolate chip cookie, walnut caramel, and coconut brownie are absolutely worth the extra time, patience, and effort.
“This recipe is somewhat involved, but as long as you’re patient with it, it should all turn out great,” De Laurentiis writes on Giadzy.
To start, you’ll want to gather the many ingredients, including one box of brownie mix (De Laurentiis recommends Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge), espresso powder, shredded coconut, semisweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and three 9.5-ounce bags of soft caramel candies (pick up Kraft Classic caramels, if you can).
You’ll then make each layer, stack them, refrigerate the desert bar for one hour to allow the caramel to set, and then allow them to come to room temperature.
De Laurentiis’ pro tip? “For those great clean cuts, make sure to not rush letting the bars cool down in the fridge!” she advises, adding, “Before serving, I like to let them come to room temperature for the best texture.”
Good luck not eating the entire pan of Magic Bars in one sitting!
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You can't beat a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. Here are our top tips and swaps, so that you can get the best results out of your cookies;
Why do you need to beat your butter and sugar together?
It's important to beat the butter and sugar together (otherwise known as creaming) for the stated time for several reasons. Creaming creates pockets of air and fat, this results in a lighter and more plentiful batter, meaning you get less dense, and more cookies out of your dough. Dense dough conducts heat faster, which means the butter melts more quickly and causes the cookies to spread too thinly in the oven. This results in an uneven cook, with the cookies having dark brown and crispy edges, and underdone centres. The air pockets in a creamed batter insulate the dough, meaning the butter doesn't melt as quickly and so they cook evenly and retain their shape better.
How do you prevent curdled mixture?
Successfully combining eggs with fat is called emulsifying. When your mixture begins to split, it's either because one element has been added too quickly, or one element is colder then the other (in this instance, it's most likely to be the eggs), preventing the two elements from emulsifying. So gradually adding room temperature eggs to your butter should result in an emulsion. However, if your mixture does split, despite doing both of these things, it is salvageable. Simply adding a few tablespoons of flour to the mixture should rescue the emulsion.
Why do you beat the flour in quickly?
In contrast to the creaming of butter and sugar, once the flour is added, it only needs to be just incorporated. Over beating the flour into the dough will result in a dry and cracked cookie.
How do different types of sugar alter your cookies?
White sugars have less leavening power than brown sugars, and so they spread quickly rather than rise, resulting in a thinner and crispier cookie. Since brown sugars contain molasses, adding them to your dough will result in a chewier and more cake like cookie. Brown sugars will also add a caramel flavour to any dough, that adding a white sugar would lack.
Flavourings
Don't fancy chocolate chips? This is your chance to get creative. The recipe for cookie dough below, excluding the chocolate chips, can be used as a plain base for any flavourings. Here are some of our suggestions that can be mixed in at the end of step 3;
• 100g white chocolate chunks, 100g dark chocolate chunks and 100g milk chocolate chunks
• 150g oats and 150g dried fruit of your choice
• 250g mini marshmallows and 100g sugar sprinkles
• 15g cocoa powder and 150g chocolate chunks of your choice
• 125g tahini, 200g dark chocolate chunks and 1tsp sea salt flakes
• 100g peanut butter and 200g chocolate chunks of your choice
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CHICAGO — Under new ownership, the Keebler brand is beginning to roll out updated recipes and packaging for its cookie brands, as well as a new look for Ernie the Elf.
A year ago, the Ferrero Group acquired Kellogg Co.’s selected cookie, pie crust and ice cream cone businesses in a transaction valued at $1.3 billion. The portfolio includes Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother’s and Murray cookies and Little Brownie Bakers, supplier of Girl Scouts cookies. Since then, the research and development team at related company Ferrara Candy Co. has been busy overhauling the decades-old brands with new formulations, packaging and marketing strategies — much in the same way it has reinvigorated Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and other confectionery brands previously owned by Nestle USA.
The effort to date for the Keebler business has included new recipes for Chips Deluxe, Fudge Stripes and Sandies cookies. Key formulation changes include the removal of high-fructose corn syrup and a switch to natural vanilla.
“We really started the minute we closed on the sale of the business, taking this beloved, iconic 150-year-old master brand Keebler and really reinvigorating it and bringing it to life,” Natalie Hagstrom, general manager of cookies at Ferrara, told Food Business News. “We’re enhancing our ingredients with more ‘made with real’. We know for the US consumer, it’s really table stakes, shorter ingredient statements, more real ingredients. With Chips Deluxe Original, you’ll see ‘made with more real chocolate.’ On Fudge Stripes you’ll see ‘made with real Keebler fudge,’ and on our Sandies brand you’ll see real Madagascar vanilla has been added to our ingredients statement.”
New packaging was developed to increase quality and freshness, featuring modern and unifying designs across the Keebler cookie brands. The products will be available in an on-the-go format and variety packs to meet consumer snacking behaviors.
“The cookie category is impulsive; half of the purchases are not planned, so for it to be a purchase driver it had to stand out on shelf,” Ms. Hagstrom said. “The packaging had to be important. We had to make sure all of our displays, all of our point of sale, is really eye catching, popping, relevant and really talked to the consumer in a meaningful way.”
A comprehensive marketing campaign launching in August will highlight the ingredient changes and brand story through digital and social channels and in-store displays.
“The last time many of these brands had been in any type of relevance in the consumer activation space, it was at a time when most of the way people were consuming media was television,” Ms. Hagstrom said. “Obviously the landscape has changed quite dramatically, so bringing them to activation on channels beyond traditional television, whether it be digital or social in any way, shape or form, that was an interesting insight. We wanted to make sure we were talking to the consumer in the ways they were consuming messages.”
Since the acquisition, Ferrara has increased investment in marketing and shopper programs to support the business. Keebler cookies have seen a 55% increase in sales since early March as consumers continue to stock up on beloved indulgences during the pandemic.
“In a post-COVID world, we want to make sure our messaging is relevant to the consumer, so we did a lot of social listening to how consumers were responding … and it made us feel good that the path we were on was the one we should keep,” Ms. Hagstrom said. “When you think about what’s on advertising right now in our Perfectly Fudgy campaign, it’s really product focused, it’s about the togetherness of families, it’s about the craftsmanship and quality in the magical world of Ernie and the elves. We are making sure we take all of the elements and bring them forward because they were relevant pre-COVID, they are relevant during COVID, and we know they will be relevant post-COVID.”
Ferrara Candy Co. was formed in 2012 with the merger of Ferrara Pan Candy Co., Inc. and Farley’s & Sathers Candy Co., Inc. Its core portfolio of brands includes Trolli, Black Forest, Brach’s, Sathers, RedHots, Lemonheads, Jujyfruits, Atomic FireBall, Boston Baked Beans and several others.
In 2017, Ferrara Candy Co. was acquired by the Luxembourg-based Ferrero Group, the maker of Nutella, Tic Tac and Kinder brands. A few months later, the Ferrero Group acquired Nestle USA’s confectionery business for approximately $2.8 billion. The transaction added such non-chocolate brands as SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy, Nerds, FunDip, PixyStix, Gobstopper, BottleCaps, Spree and Runts to Ferrara Candy Co.’s portfolio.
Nestle USA’s former chocolate brands, now managed by Parsippany, NJ-based Ferrero North America, were revamped by the Ferrara team following the transaction. Enhancements made to the Butterfinger and Baby Ruth brands included the removal of a preservative, improved peanut roasting technology and double-layer packaging to preserve flavor and freshness.
“You start with storied, iconic brands that have really high household awareness, and it’s really just returning them to their iconic status,” Ms. Hagstrom said. “They’ve been starved of resources and investments in product, packaging and messaging to the consumer.
“When we talked to consumers when we bought the businesses, everyone could talk about the memories and the positive associations they had with them, but it wasn’t something in their recent past, so how do you make it more relevant and bring it to their core thought process and decision making process and consideration set? When you start from place of high awareness and great love, it’s easy then to just make sure you invest in all the things that can return it to that status…
“Very similar to the Nestle portfolio, we wanted to make sure we keep our existing consumers … but then also found a way to bring new consumers, whether it be whole new generations or just the people who haven’t considered us in a long time. Both of those needed to be true for us to continue to proceed down this path.”
Now with more than 40 brands spanning the categories of candy and cookies, Ferrara is planning co-branded product innovation that may bring together its classic candy brands with the former Nestle and Keebler products. Set to launch this holiday season is a decorating kit combining Keebler cookies and Ferrara candy.
“It’s when it makes both brand equities elevated and it’s consumer desired that we will continue to leverage the equities of these powerhouse brands across the portfolio,” Ms. Hagstrom said.
Danica joined Community Impact Newspaper as a Cy-Fair reporter in May 2016 after graduating with a journalism degree from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. She became editor of the Cy-Fair edition in March 2020 and continues to cover education, local government, business, demographic trends, real estate development and nonprofits.
cookies.indah.link Genevie Alejandro made priest and chalice-shaped cookies for her brothers ordination in June 2020. (Photo: courtesy of Geneva Alejandro)
WINDSOR TERRACE — Genevie Alejandro never expected her future in the baking entrepreneurial world to begin with a bishop.
But in April of 2020, she made her first batch of sugar cookies, shaped as priests with their Roman collars, for the birthday of Bishop Steven J. Lopes, the leader of the diocese that Pope Francis created in unison with the Anglican church — the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.
“I did not want to mess them up!,” Alejandro said. “Not many people have the opportunity to make cookies for a bishop.”
She credits her new business venture as a result of two distinct, unrelated factors: the free time in lockdown due to the global pandemic and being rooted in faith and service within the traditions of her loving Mexican Catholic family.
“My mom is a sweetheart, she’s always shown love,” Alejandro said. “We didn’t grow up poor, we didn’t grow up rich, but she always put her heart and made those special little efforts.”
Alejandro was raised in a small town called Dhanis, located west of San Antonio, Texas, where a lot of her extended family — from grandparents and great-grandparents to her aunt and cousins — lived close by.
As a child, faith was instilled by the guidance of her maternal grandmother, who made sure Alejandro followed stern rules like waking up for the early Mass on weekends and not eating an hour before it started.
For her start in baking, she credits her great-grandmother, Vicenta: “Every Christmas she made a cookie. We called it ‘repostería,’ ” which, in Spanish, means making pastries or baked goods.
Alejandro’s idea to start baking for others came after college when she was based in St. Louis. There, she met a family who baked cookies for local firefighters. She took that idea with her when she moved back to Texas to work in Houston. When she volunteered with the non-profit Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, Alejandro and her little sister made cookies for Houston firefighters.
After people started raving about the taste of her cookies — that she bakes with a special Mexican vanilla — Alejandro decided she would consider doing it more often for friends and families during the holidays.
Then the pandemic hit. But the lockdown didn’t stop her from baking. Instead, it allowed her more free time to dedicate to her business.
“I decided to name my company Simply Yummy — I wanted to keep it simple … and I wanted to make sure that the cookies were really good,” she said.
In June 2020, her brother, Armando, finished his studies as a seminarian and was set to be ordained as a priest in the middle of a global pandemic. Although he was worried about what that meant, she reminded him to surrender it to God and His will.
Alejandro’s gift to the Church and her brother was sweet — 90 treats that included customized priest-shaped cookies, vestments and all, and chalice-shaped cookies representing the Eucharist.
“I’m very honored to be his sister,” she said. “Making cookies for his ordination was… out of love.”
A labor of love meant a lot of time around a table, with her family, crafting the special dough.
“My parents, my dad helped me. My mom helped … one of my cousins helped,” she said. “Nine hours and 90 cookies later, it was a long day but it was well worth it.”
Her mission isn’t to make a profit, but to treat her business as a ministry, sharing her time and talents to make cookies for low-income families or single-parent households and not charge as much as competitors or boutique bakers.
“I have a full-time job and this is mainly a hobby,” she said. “If I can help someone and make their birthday, or baptism, or ordination, or whatever it is, a little more meaningful with dessert, that’s the best that I can do. That’s all I can ask for.”
CHICAGO, July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Friends and families are looking for creative ways to entertain at home this summer with social distancing measures in place. To inspire families with fun activities and ways to connect, Mother's® Cookies is offering at-home Friendship Cookie Kits just in time for International Friendship Day. With baking on the rise and social distancing keeping friends from regular get-togethers, Mother's brand created an interactive way for friends to enjoy baking and decorating kitchen creations together, while at a distance.
"Our world looks a bit different this summer. Research shows 73 percent of families are taking advantage of time at home and looking for ways to connect with their families," said Hasika Sarathy, Ferrara's Senior Associate Brand Manager of Marketing, citing April 2020 survey research from Ipsos. "Young kids are also hungry for new ways to hold playdates. Our hope is by providing friends and families with the gift of Mother's at-home Friendship Cookie Kits, we will bring joy into Americans' homes and inspire them to get creative with our cookies."
In celebration of International Friendship Day on July 30, Mother's Cookies will gift an at-home Friendship Cookie Kit – filled with goodies to help winners throw their own virtual baking parties. To enter, follow Mother's Cookies' Instagram page, @MothersCookiesUS, and comment and tag a friend on the brand's campaign announcement post. 50 lucky commenters will receive the box, and so will the friend they tag.
Friends and families can get the Mother's at-home Friendship Cookie Kits that come with everything they need to entertain at home and celebrate their inner baker. The kits will be available starting July 30 at 12:01 a.m. ET – 12:59 p.m. ET on 8/6/20 and will include:
Two (2) bags of Mother's® Circus Animal® Cookies – Frosted pink and white, animal-shaped sugar cookies covered with colorful rainbow sprinkles. These fun, festive, vanilla-flavored shortbread cookies offer the delicious combination of a crunchy cookie topped with sweet frosting and sprinkles.
Mother's branded Chef Hat to get in the baking spirit.
Cupcake mix and cupcake liners along with colorful icing and sprinkles to inspire creativity when baking cupcakes, which are delicious when topped with Mother's cookies.
"As a little girl, I grew up enjoying Mother's cookies," said Melissa Johnson, blogger at Best Friends for Frosting. "Now, as a mom myself, these cookies are a huge hit in our household, which is why I'm so excited to partner with Mother's Cookies to show families different ways they can eat, decorate and bake with these iconic pink and white animal cookies. Best of all, my daughter, Claire, loves hosting virtual playdates and this gives her a great new way to entertain her friends."
Providing a memorable virtual experience, new Mother's at-home Friendship Cookie Kits allow friends to gather in their own kitchens and create fun, social moments while baking easy, beautiful and delicious desserts.
"For over a century, Mother's has helped create and celebrate sweet moments for families, baking memories in every bite," said Hasika Sarathy, Senior Associate Brand Manager of Marketing at Ferrara. "There continues to be high value in consumers enjoying bonding and creating memories."
To learn more about the Mother's® product portfolio, visit www.motherscookies.com and follow @Mother'sCookies on Facebook and @motherscookiesus on Instagram.
About Mother's Cookies Since 1914, Mother's has been sparking celebrations and creating moments of cookie joy. From helping families celebrate holidays to becoming an after-school snack staple to inspiring delicious dessert recipes, Mother's has been there for all the sweet moments, baking memories into every bite. Mother's extensive cookie portfolio includes: Mother's® Circus Animal®, Mother's® Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mother's® Coconut Cocadas®, Mother's® Double Fudge Cookies, Mother's® English Tea® Cookies, Mother's® Taffy® Dulce de Leche, Mother's® Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Mother's® Oatmeal Cookies and Mother's® Peanut Butter Gauchos Cookies.
About Ferrara Ferrara, a company related to The Ferrero Group, is an emerging powerhouse in the North American confections and sweet snacking categories. A passionate team of nearly 6,000 employees works together to share delight in every bite through leading brands that have shaped the industry for more than 100 years. Our diverse portfolio of nearly 35 brands includes SweeTARTS®, Trolli®, Brach's®, Black Forest® and NERDS®, along with iconic favorites like Lemonhead®, Red Hots® and Now and Later®. Ferrara also manages the Keebler® and Famous Amos® businesses for The Ferrero Group. Headquartered in Chicago, Ferrara has an operational network of 20 locations in North America that includes manufacturing, distribution and R&D facilities. Learn more at www.ferrarausa.com.
For over 20 years, website analytics has leveraged the use of persistent cookies to track users. This benign piece of code was a mass improvement over using a user’s IP address or even the combination IP and browser. Since it was first introduced, the use of these cookies has become the focus of privacy legislation and paranoia. So what alternative is there?
If your website or mobile application requires the creation of user accounts and logins, it’s time to plan to transition away from cookie-based tracking to user ID tracking. In simple terms, instead of having your analytics toolset read a cookie, you pass a unique identifier associated with the user ID and then track the user via this identifier. Typically the identifier is the login ID.
Preparing for advanced tracking
Step 1
Ensure that the user ID you’ve deployed doesn’t contain Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Too often, sites require users to use their personal email address as a login ID or event their account number. These are PII. If this is the case with your organization, then the trick is to assign a random unique client identifier to all existing accounts as well as for any future accounts as they are created.
Step 2
Have your developers start to push the User ID to the data layer. This way, the variable will be there waiting for your analytics software to read it once you’re ready to implement the new tracking method. Check with your analytics software on the variable name for this element as it varies from analytics software to software.
Step 3
Create a new view/workspace within your analytics software and configure it to track users by their user ID. Most analytic packages will still set a temporary cookie to track user behavior prior to their login and then will connect the sessions. This way you can see what a user does on your site even prior to them logging in and what site visitors who never login do.
Benefits of tracking users by user ID
Improved accuracy
The use of cookies is flawed in many ways. If users jump between devices (from desktop, to mobile, to a tablet, or office computer to home computer) you can’t track that it was the same user. This generates inflated unique user counts.
What if a user clears their cookies (perhaps they’re utilizing antivirus software that purges all cookies every time the browser is closed)? Once again this leads to inflated user count data.
By tracking a user via their user ID, you’ll obtain a more accurate count of unique users on your site.
Cross Device Tracking
This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of tracking users by their user ID. You can now see how users interact with your site and/or mobile app. How many use a combination of devices. Is there a specific preference for which type of device might simply be used to add to a shopping cart, only to have the order processed on another device?
Greater Analytics Insight
Armed with enhanced analytics data, new and potentially powerful insights can be harvested. With this new knowledge, you can better direct internal resources to focus and enhance the user experience and optimize the user flow for greater profits.
Real life examples
The following examples demonstrate the power of tracking users by their user ID.
Overview – Device Overlap
The following image shows what percentage of accounts use which type of device and the percentage that use a combination of devices. For example, while 66.6% use only a desktop, 15.8% use a combination of Mobile and Desktop.
User Behavior – Device Flow
Reviewing the device flow leading up to a transaction can provide some of the greatest insights from this enhanced analytics tracking methodology.
While it might not be surprising that the two most common device (by number of Users) paths were Desktop only and Mobile only, what was surprising to me and to the client was number 3. While the device path of Desktop -> mobile -> Desktop is only experienced by approx. 3% of users, it accounts for approximately 8% of all transaction and over 9% of all revenue generated.
The minimal overall use of tablets was also a bit surprising. Of course the mix of devices does vary from client to client.
Assisted conversions
By dropping the use of cookies, the quality of the data of assisted conversions is significantly increased. For example, how many people read an email (can easily be tracked when opened and attributed to a user ID) on a mobile device, click into the site, browse around to and review the items that are being promoted (maybe add them to their shopping cart). Then think about it for a bit before logging-in later via a desktop to complete the transaction?
For example, from the above report, one can objectively assign a more accurate value to SEO efforts by examining the role Organic Search traffic played in generating sales. While a source of an immediate sale (in this case) from organic search generated traffic represents 1.3% of total revenue as an assist in the sales cycle, it played a role in over 10.4% of generated revenue.
Enhanced user insights
In this example, the client allows its customers to also have multiple logins for their account. Essentially a user ID represents a customer/client and not a single user. The client operates in the B2B world where multiple people within its clients’ organizations may require unique logins and rights (who can order, who can just view product details, who can view or add to the cart but not place an order, etc.). By leveraging both tracking by user ID and recording a unique login id within their analytics, these additional insights can be obtained.
The above report not only breaks down revenue by division, but demonstrates how within different division users use the site differently. In region 1, there is almost a 1:1 relationship between user ids and login ids. Yet in Division 3, the ration is over 4:1, this means that for every customer there is an average over 4 logins being utilized in Division 3.
How can they leverage this data for more effective marketing? By understanding that within divisions there are differences, carefully crafted email marketing can be created to target customers differently with multiple logins vs. single account/login customers.
A further dive into the data could also reveal which login IDs are only product recommenders (only view products) from those who make specific product requests (add to the shopping cart and never place the order) from those who only process orders and from those who do it all. Each one needs to be marketed to differently with different messaging to optimize the effectiveness of the marketing effort. It’s through detailed analytics that this audience definition can be obtained.
Is tracking by user ID right for me?
Making the decision to change how you track your users is a difficult choice. First, does your site/mobile app require users to login at a reasonably early part of their journey? This is ideal for e-commerce sites and sites where the vast majority of user interaction takes place after the user logins into the site/application.
If you’re running a general website with the goal to merely share information and generate “contact us” type leads, the answer to making this switch is no.
If you have a combination of a general information site plus a registered user section, then yes you might want to consider making this change and perhaps just for the registered user section.
If you do make this change, don’t stop running your other analytics views/workspaces that use cookies. Keep them running. By operating two different views, you’ll be eventually able to reconcile the differences between the two, plus it makes it easier to explain to those who you report to, why you’ll be reporting a dramatic drop in the number of users. Of course, when you first make the switch, all users will be first-time users so expect a major increase in new visitor traffic.
If you decide to make this change, don’t forget to review the impact of the change with your legal department. They will tell you if you need to update your privacy policy.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech Today. Staff authors are listed here.
About The Author
Alan K'necht an independant SEO, Social and Analytics consultant , a public speaker, award winning author and a corporate trainer (SEO, social media marketing & digital analytics). He co-hosts the weekly Twitter Chat #SocialChat Monday night's at 9pm Eastern.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ice cream and cookies. Both bring joy all by themselves. But combine them and the happiness expands exponentially. On sultry sun-baked afternoons, après croquet or slo-mo badminton, or just lazing in a lawn chair with your feet in the kiddie pool, the thrill of an ice cream sandwich consumed in chilly creamy bites limns a moment of sheer summer pleasure.
Building an ice cream sandwich can be a labor of love. There’s an infinite number of recipes for ice creams simple and sumptuous, and even more options for cookies, brownies and other baked goods that holds things together. There’s some fine recipes below for both if you’re ambitious.
But right now we’re deep in midsummer, the most indolent time of the year. That often calls for maximum indulgence with minimum effort. So put on your face mask and head to your local market. A quick march down the cookie and ice cream aisles will yield just about everything you need to create a sunny season’s worth of frozen sandwich joy you can eat out of hand. Enjoy every decadent bite.
Instant pay-off:
Here’s a few ideas for sandwich combos you can pull right off the grocery shelves and make in just a few minutes. To construct the sandwich, let the ice cream defrost on your counter for a few minutes until the edges are melty. Place a scoop of ice cream in the middle of one cookie. Place on a hard surface and lay another cookie on top. Press gently but firmly until the ice cream oozes just to the edge of the sandwich.
Freeze at once on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes. When set, you can roll the edges in all sorts of bonus treats (see below for ideas), then wrap in plastic wrap and return to the freezer to harden. Two hours should do it for smaller cookie sandwiches, which is the perfect size. If they’re little, you get to try more flavors!
1. Thin chocolate cookie wafers are ideal because they flatter almost any flavor ice cream filling, from plain vanilla to something dark and deeply voluptuous, like black raspberry with soft chocolate chunks. They also nicely soften to classic ice cream sandwich texture while in the freezer. Roll the edges in almost anything from hot fudge sauce and finely chopped walnuts to brightly colored cookie sprinkles.
2. Round shortbread pure butter cookies have a delicate flavor and a pie-crust-like texture that goes great with fruity ice creams like peach and strawberry. Roll in finely chopped white chocolate or blanched almonds for a crunchier finish.
3. Soft chocolate chip cookies pair well with the rich flavors of coffee or chocolate ice creams. If you’re friends with caffeine, sprinkle a pinch of instant espresso powder into finely chopped chocolate espresso beans for a coffee house finish to your sandwich roll-in.
4. Soda crackers provide a bit of salty overtone to the caramel flavors of dulce de leche ice cream. When frozen, dip your sandwiches into a bowl of chocolate shell topping to coat thoroughly and then quickly sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of crushed English toffee candy bar.
5. Lemon-flavored wafers or cookies sandwiched with cherry or raspberry ripple ice cream, and then rolled in chopped grated coconut, perfectly captures the light lilt of bright summer flavors.
6. Mini-waffles make for fun breakfast sandwiches when layered with maple-nut ice cream. Roll in a little bit of real maple syrup and then a bowl of crushed toasted pecans for a good wake-up crunch.
7. Briefly freeze then carefully split store-bought brownies length-wise in half (or even quarters). Stuff with chocolate-chip or mint chocolate-chip ice cream. Roll the former in finely chopped chocolate crunch bars and the latter in chopped chocolate mint candy wafers, or vice versa!
8. For truly instant gratification, make an ice cream sandwich using a baguette. Spread the inside of a 3 inch piece of the bread with a thin layer of peanut butter on one side, chocolate nut spread (think Nutella) on the other. Add several scoops of chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Tuck in a few slices of banana or strawberries and a light sprinkling of optional sea salt. Carefully squish together and eat immediately.
9. Crisp butter wafers taste like elegant high-end waffle cones. Be respectful and simply fill them with an equally elegant ice cream, perhaps one layered with rich raspberry cordial.
10. A culinary coupe de grace, the stuffed glazed doughnut. Make it simple with vanilla ice cream and just enjoy all that sugar and fat as is…or go for the glory with birthday cake ice cream, a few pieces of crumbled bacon tucked inside and a generous roll in mini-M&Ms or lots of sugar sprinkles. Too much never tasted so good.
Easy and elegant, crisp butter waffle wafers filled with rich raspberry cordial ice cream. (Beth Segal, special to cleveland.com)
Delayed (and worth it) gratification:
If you’re willing to do the work, these recipes will pay off with a more refined and nuanced ice cream sandwich experience. Enjoy, you deserve it.
Gianduja Mousse Sandwiches
An easy chocolate mousse gets frozen overnight and becomes a rich elegant ice cream by the following morning. Roll the sandwich in chopped pistachios to add a flash of color, a bit of crunch and a nuance of glamour.
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut paste, such as Nutella
1/4 cup crème fraîche
1 1/2 teaspoons brandy or hazelnut liqueur
1/2 cup heavy cream
About 12 chocolate wafer cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the chocolate-hazelnut paste with the crème fraîche and brandy at low speed until smooth. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate-hazelnut mixture until no streaks remain. Spoon the mousse onto six wafers, top with remaining six. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Just before serving, roll sandwiches in pistachios and serve immediately.
Adapted from Food and Wine
French Meringue Ice Cream Sandwiches
An excellent and dependable recipe for French meringue. The shells are exquisitely crisp on the outside, and marshmallow-gooey on the inside. You can use any ice cream to fill them, but something with fruit, maybe blackberry or bing cherry, would be perfect with these feather-light cookies.
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
Preheat the oven to 300°F, with a rack in the center.
Step 1. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, trace 6 circles on each piece of parchment, spacing about 3 inches apart. Flip the parchment upside down so the marking doesn’t end up on the meringue.
Step 2. In the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites, making sure there is no trace of yolk. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing the speed to medium, until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in the cornstarch. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Continue beating until the meringue is smooth, glossy, and tripled in volume. Beat in the vinegar and almond extract until just combined.
Step 3. Add dabs of meringue to the corners of the prepared baking sheets to secure the parchment. Using a 1/4-cup measure or ice cream scoop, add a mound of meringue to the center of each circle. Using a spatula or spoon, gently work the meringue into a flat disc that fills the circle.
Step 4. Bake until the meringues are puffed and set but still soft in the center, 30–35 minutes. (After the first 10 minutes, check to make sure the meringues aren’t browning; if they are, lower the oven temperature to 275°F.) Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool completely in the oven, at least 2 hours. Remove the meringues from the oven and carefully fill with ice cream. Place sandwiches on cookie sheet to freeze, serve within 2- 6 hours.
Adapted from Saveur Magazine
Lemon-Poppy Polenta Cookies and Sorbet Sandwiches
The polenta gives these cookies an extra-special crunch, the shortening helps them hold their shape. Any good tart sorbet, like boysenberry or
blood-orange, will complement these cookies beautifully.
1 cup instant polenta
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
About 2 pints tart sorbet
Step 1. In a food processor, combine the polenta, 3/4 cup of flour, confectioners' sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse to blend. Add the butter, shortening and lemon zest and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the egg and poppy seeds and pulse just until the dough forms a ball. Pat the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic; refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a floured 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out 28 cookies as close together as possible. Gather the dough scraps together and gently reroll the dough, then stamp out 4 more cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies to 2 ungreased baking sheets.
Step 3. Bake the cookies on the upper and lower racks of the oven for 18 minutes, or until golden; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets. Step 4 To form the sandwiches, scoop about 1/4 cup of the softened sorbet onto each of 16 cookies. Top the sorbet with the remaining cookies, pressing lightly to help evenly spread the sorbet. Set the sandwiches on a baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour, or until the sorbet is firm.
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Since the acquisition, Ferrara has increased investment in marketing and shopper programs to support the business. Keebler cookies have seen a 55% increase in sales since early March as consumers continue to stock up on beloved indulgences during the pandemic.
