a mess of a dreamer

The first photo is from 1956. It shows a Black woman watching members of the Ku Klux Klan (a terrorist, racist, far-right organization focused on white supremacy) walking along a sidewalk in Montgomery, Alabama (USA). I couldn't find the photo's author, but most sources state that it was taken in 1956.

The second photo shows members of the Patriot Front group (a white supremacist and nationalist group, formed in 2017, that openly advocates what they call "American Fascism") traveling on the subway during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. independence in Washington D.C., while a Black woman watches them. The photo is by photographer Cheney Orr, taken on July 4, 2026, 70 years after the first photo.

Makes 1 dozen 10cm cookies or 2 dozen 5cm cookies

Ingredients

•       Cookies:

•       ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

•       ½ cup vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower oil.

•       ½ cup granulated sugar, plus additional for sugaring tops

•       ½ cup powdered sugar

•       1 large egg

•       2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean

•       2 cups all-purpose flour

•       ½ teaspoon baking soda

•       ¼ teaspoon salt

•       1 packet of chai tea leaves

Icing:

•       1 cup powdered sugar

•       ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

•       ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

•       3 tablespoons of eggnog (or milk if you don’t have any)

 Method – Chai cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or foil, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.

3. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute.

4. Add the vegetable oil.  It may not fully incorporate with the butter, but that’s ok. 5. Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla and chai leaves beating on medium speed until each ingredient is completely incorporated.

6. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt all at once using a wooden spoon or the mixer set on low. Note: The dough will be soft.

7. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes just so it’s easier to handle.

8. For large cookies, dollop 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 5cm apart.  For smaller cookies use 1 Tablespoon for each cookie.

9. Press the dough evenly with your fingers or palm to 1cm thickness.

10. Generously sprinkle sugar on top of the cookie dough.

11. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies or 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies.

12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

13. The cookies will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

TAYLOR’S PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups semisweet chocolate

Non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 degrees C

2. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray or line them with parchment paper.

3. Using a mixer beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

6. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips.

7. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges.

8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

TAYLOR’S CHOCOLATE CHUNK OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

340g block dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1  cup walnuts, chopped

Large flake sea salt, for garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C

2. .In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and kosher salt.

3. In large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. Using an electric beater or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until it they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat them into the butter and sugar mixture. Add in the vanilla as well.

4.With a rubber spatula or with the stand mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts.

5.spoon the cookie dough by 2 tablespoon-size balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the cookie dough balls 5cm apart on the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.

6. When the cookies come out of the oven IMMEDIATELY sprinkle each cookie with a few grains of sea salt. This is really important to do while the cookies are hot.

Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen