We kick off this week's Fun Friday with the celebration of National Pickle Day, which was yesterday (November 14). 

Grillo’s Pickles, the cult-favorite refrigerated pickle brand, wanted to dominate this \foodie holiday once again with its unique collaborations highlighting the beloved condiment. Partnerships include: 

• Boka x Grillo’s Cucumber Dill Toothpaste: For pickle lovers, that briny, sweet, and tangy taste is irresistible - a flavor that excites the palate and awakens the senses. Now, consumers can carry that craving with you from morning to night while enjoying healthier teeth. Available for $13 online and on Amazon, while supplies last. 
• PopUp Bagels x Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo Schmear: To bring the ultimate pickle lovers’ breakfast, PopUp Bagels and Grillo’s have collaborated on a limited availability spread that will have pickle and bagel lovers alike asking for more. This bold bagel companion pairs the crisp texture and zesty, garden-fresh flavor of Grillo’s Pickles with the smooth, creaminess of PopUp Bagels’ traditional schmear. Available at all PopUp locations, including five towns in Connecticut, and locations in Manhattan and Massachusetts. 

Shipley Do-Nuts rings in the holidays with all-new candy cane lineup

Houston-based Shipley Do-Nuts, the doughnut and kolache brand, has launched its first-ever limited-time holiday menu with four seasonal candy cane-inspired treats, available through Dec. 31 or while supplies last. 

The new Candy Cane Crunch Donut comes in two festive varieties, Chocolate Iced and White Iced, featuring Shipley’s classic, handmade fresh daily, hexagon-shaped yeast doughnut topped with sweet, crunchy candy cane bits. Pricing starts at $1.49.  

Also on the menu for a limited time through the holiday season is the savory Bacon, Egg, & Cheese kolache. The pastry is handmade in-house daily, stuffed with buttery scrambled egg, applewood-smoked bacon, and melted American cheese and then baked. Priced at just $3.49, the new kolache is available through Dec. 31. 

The new limited-time holiday menu and Bacon, Egg, & Cheese kolaches are available in-store or online at shipleydonuts.com for pickup or delivery.

KitKat becomes official chocolate bar of Formula 1

Nestlé and Formula 1 (F1) announced a worldwide partnership, making KitKat the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1. This multi-year collaboration is Nestlé's largest global brand partnership to date, signaling the ambition to reach a wider audience and achieve a higher rate of global growth.

With an estimated fanbase of 700 million fans worldwide, Formula 1 is growing in popularity including with a younger and more diverse audience. It also benefits from an immersive digital ecosystem. Through this partnership, KitKat wants to bring its iconic "Have a Break, Have a KitKat" message to more people and enable them to take a moment to pause.

The collaboration will officially launch during the 2025 season, marking the 90th anniversary of KitKat and the 75th anniversary of Formula 1. It will then expand across the world throughout 2026. F1 enthusiasts can look forward to consumer activations, promotional prizes (such as tickets and merchandise), and immersive fan zones at select Grands Prix, with trackside branding, and cheerful, light-hearted content.

This partnership unites two large global fanbases in an way that blends the thrill of motorsport with the renowned sense of humor of KitKat and its tradition of sharing breaks.

McCormick announces holiday Cookie Quest, Milk Bar partnership 

Mixing up the traditional cookie exchange with a modern twist, the McCormick brand is in search of the best cookie recipe. Bakers, sugar cookie connoisseurs, coveted family recipe holders, and general cookie enthusiasts are invited to enter the McCormick Cookie Quest for a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000.

As part of the virtual holiday cookie recipe exchange, the McCormick brand is partnering with famed bakery Milk Bar and Christina Tosi, its James Beard award-winning chef and founder, and author of the recently released Bake Club cookbook. Together, the brands have created a limited-time Milk Bar x McCormick Candy Cane Pretzel Bark Cookie. This minty, sweet-salty cookie features McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract and Peppermint Extract and is rolled and topped with festive, red sanding sugar.

On National Cookie Day, December 4, select Milk Bar locations will give away the Milk Bar x McCormick Candy Cane Pretzel Bark Cookie to the first 100 customers starting at 10:00 am local time, limit one cookie per person, while supplies last. The cookies will be on sale for $3.25 at the same Milk Bar locations starting on December 4, until December 31.

Participating Milk Bar locations include: 

• NYC Flagship (1196 Broadway at 29th St., New York, NY 10001)
• Williamsburg (382 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211)
• Washington, DC Logan Circle (1525 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005)
• Los Angeles Flagship (7150 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046)

In the spirit of the holiday cookie recipe exchange, McCormick will share the limited-time cookie recipe for bakers nationwide to make at home at McCormick.com/Cookie-Quest.

To enter the McCormick Cookie Quest, consumers can post their original recipe to Instagram and tag @McCormickSpice with the hashtags #McCormickCookieQuest and #Contest from November 19 until December 8. Entrants will be judged on originality, presentation, clarity, brand fit, holiday spirit, and of course, taste. Stand-out submissions and the winner may also be featured on the McCormick website and across the brand’s social media channels. The winner will be announced on or about December 19.

Brach's offers free digital and vinyl Candy Cane Carols

Brach's is going on the record to declare that listening to holiday music is the best winter tradition. To make moments sweeter, the iconic seasonal candy is releasing Brach's Candy Cane Carols.

Beginning Tuesday, November 19 at 7 p.m. ET, the first 100 guests who visit BrachsCarols.com can customize and receive a complimentary Brach's Candy Cane Carol, while supplies last. 

Consumers can create a carol by sharing details like their favorite music genre and seasonal traditions. Submissions will be transformed into custom songs featuring their own holiday memories, written and recorded just for them by a professional artist in collaboration with Songfinch. 

Songs will be delivered both digitally and on a keepsake seven-inch vinyl record, alongside a box of Brach's Peppermint Candy Canes.  

Donna Kelce and Pillsbury Doughboy crown 52nd Pillsbury Bake-Off contest winners

This year, America’s baking companion, the Pillsbury Doughboy, teamed up with the country’s favorite football mom Donna Kelce to co-host the 52nd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest with the theme "Holiday Family Favorites."

Home bakers across the country shared their treasured recipes, and this year’s $50,000 grand-prize winner, Julie McIntire from Independence, MO, wowed the judges with her Mini Beef Wellingtons with Smoked Gouda Dipping Sauce recipe. This innovative take on a classic holiday dish wraps tender beef in pillowy Pillsbury Crescent Dough for an easy-but-delicious appetizer that’s sure to become a cherished tradition in many households. Runners-up, the simply sweet Cinnamon-Cardamom Crescent Twists from Kyla K., and Caramel Apple Tiramisu from Robbin W., offer delightful twists to holiday favorites.

Families can find these winning recipes and even more ideas for appetizers, entrees, and desserts on Pillsbury.com/Bake-Off-Contest, to inspire a season full of tasty memories created over beloved recipes. Among these recipes is one of Kelce’s favorites, affectionately known as Mama Kelce’s Dinner Rolls. This staple in the Kelce household originated from the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest winning recipe, Pillsbury’s Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs.

McIntire’s first-place winning recipe, Mini Beef Wellingtons with Smoked Gouda Dipping Sauce, is a take on the beloved spinach casserole her family enjoyed during the holidays growing up.

“Inspired by Mama Kelce’s Bake-Off connection, I decided to create a modern twist on my family’s Spinach Casserole recipe, one that was hearty enough to feed big appetites during the holidays and game day celebrations alike," says McIntire. “Using Pillsbury dough made the preparation even easier and added a delightful, flaky texture to my family’s favorite new holiday appetizer, really transforming it.”