The cookies in ‘Only Murders in the Building’ are a sweet Broadway Easter egg

Only Murders in the Building is no stranger to plot-relevant food. Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) loves his dips, while Charles-Haden Savage had his morning routine of making (and throwing away) an omelet. And, of course, who could forget the ghastly liverwurst and marmalade sandwich that helped catch Season 2’s murderer?

Hulu’s charming whodunnit continues its food obsession with its Season 3 premiere, which features a lip-smacking platter of cookies. They pop up in the first read-through for Oliver’s Broadway comeback, and they look so good that they threaten to derail star Ben Glenroy’s (Paul Rudd) action movie diet. “Cookies are a weakness,” explains Ben’s brother and manager Dickie (Jeremy Shamos).

But these aren’t just any cookies. These are Schmackary’s cookies, aka the “Official Cookie of Broadway.” That title alone makes them the perfect Broadway Easter egg for Only Murders in the Building‘s theater-centric third season, but like our favorite Arconia-residing detectives, I just had to get deeper into Schmackary’s quick cameo. How did Schmackary’s come to be in this season? What flavors appear in the show? And are these cookies as good in real life as Only Murders in the Building makes them seem?

How Schmackary’s became a Broadway staple — and an Only Murders gag.

The ensemble cast of “Only Murders in the Building.”
Credit: Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Schmackary’s may have opened its official storefront in May of 2012, but before that it was run out of owner and creator Zachary Schmahl’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Although he had originally pursued acting, Schmahl turned his cookie-making hobby into its own business, which blew up thanks to his Broadway connections and the power of social media. Now, Schmackary’s Broadway roots are still fully visible in its flavor selection, which features show-specific collaborations. Examples include the “It’s Britney, Biscuit!,” a glittery tie-dyed sugar cookie tied to Britney Spears’ jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time, and the “Amazin’ Corn Bred Cookie,” a cornbread-inspired cookie celebrating Shucked.

Schmackary’s has also become involved with Broadway charities. Even before opening the brick-and-mortar store, Schmahl partnered with the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly known as the Actors Fund) to supply their performances with cookies. In 2014, Schmackary’s had began the annual Broadway Bakes fundraising event, where Broadway stars work behind Schmackary’s counter to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

With a Broadway presence of over a decade, it feels inevitable that Schmackary’s would end up in a show like Only Murders in the Building, which is so specific in its New York-ness (especially the theatrical creatives of the Upper West Side).

“As the story goes, one of the writers used to be on Broadway, and in this season they had wanted to plant little Easter eggs for Broadway fans,” Schmahl told Mashable in an email. The writers’ room debated what things “scream Broadway,” and Schmackary’s was an easy answer.

“As a huge fan of Only Murders and a lifelong Steve Martin and Martin Short fan, I was thrilled when Hulu reached out and asked us to be part of this season,” Schmahl continued. “In fact, I actually told them when they called, ‘If you need a cute delivery boy to make an appearance, just let me know and I’ll make myself available!’ Unfortunately, that call never came…”

Still, the Schmackary’s cookies feature prominently in the show’s Season 3 premiere. And while Schmahl did not know which flavors ended up being featured in the show, or how they showed up in the plot, we here at Mashable were able to use advanced technology (zooming in on screenshots) and extensive cross-analysis (checking the Schmackary’s website) to determine which flavors Ben finds so tempting. From there, we conducted sophisticated research (a taste test) to determine which Schmackary’s flavors were greatest — and which ones we think might be Ben’s favorite.

Which Schmackary’s flavors are in Only Murders in the Building, and how do they taste?

Computer, enhance!
Credit: Screenshot: Hulu

If you look at the stack of Schmackary’s cookies at the read-through, you’ll see three flavors: two kinds of lighter cookies (one with white frosting and sprinkles) and one darker brown cookie with white frosting. Based on Schmackary’s website, it looks like the flavors pictured are the Classic chocolate chip cookie, the Funfetti, and the Cookies & Cream, all of which are members of the store’s lineup of classic, non-rotating flavors. With this in mind, Mashable’s Entertainment Contributor Yasmeen Hamadeh and I ordered a dozen Schmackary’s cookies — including these three flavors and some other surprises — and put them to the test. (Think of it as a much-needed reward after the trials of that liverwurst and marmalade sandwich.)

A cookie feast fit for a king.
Credit: Belen Edwars/Mashable

Right away, we could agree on some standouts. The Cookies & Cream truly tastes like an elevated Oreo, the Funfetti is a buttery, sprinkle-filled explosion, and the Cookie Dough is a decadent, milk-chocolate-y treat. All three have excellent frosting-to-dough ratios, a statement that is true across the board for all of Schmackary’s frosted cookies.

Hamadeh prefers autumnal flavors — think cinnamon-y, caramel-y, fruity goodness — so she was heavily partial to the Hummingbird cookie, with its combination of oats, bananas, pineapple, and pecan. I’m a big fan of chocolate and otherwise throwing everything but the kitchen sink at a cookie, so the decadent Chocolate Explosion is way up my alley, along with the Birthday Party, which delivers the ultimate sugar rush with sprinkles, crushed Oreos, and chocolate chunks. The cookies also nicely balance salty and sweet flavors: coarse sea salt punches up the Classic chocolate chip, while salt and vinegar chips add an exciting crunch to the Hangover (already loaded with M&Ms, coconut, butterscotch, and more).

Not every flavor was a total success though. The perfectly pink Strawberry Rhubarb — aka Barbiecore in a cookie — tasted cloyingly artificial, although chunks of fresh rhubarb lent it a nice tartness. Then, there was the Sweet Corn cookie, which took both Hamadeh and me out with its intense cornbread flavor and corn chunks. Maybe someone out there will be able to get past the cognitive dissonance of a cornbread cookie, but it certainly won’t be the two of us. Overall, though, our Schmackary’s taste test was a sweet success, and we now understand Ben Glenroy when he exclaims, “oh hot damn, that is a hot Schmackary!” upon taking a forbidden bite.

But which cookie did said forbidden bite come from? Well, after replaying the read-through scene, you can see Ben take a small chunk from the platter of cookies. The chunk is too light a brown to be the Cookies & Cream, and it appears unfrosted, ruling out the Funfetti. The likely culprit? The Classic, which sits atop the other cookies on the platter and would be the easiest for Ben to sneak a bite from.

Still, Only Murders in the Building only showcases a handful of Schmackary’s flavors, while the store has over 75 (although not all are in rotation at once). If given the run of the store, what would Ben choose?

Thanks to his propensity for dramatic flair and the fact that he can’t usually eat sweets due to his diet, Hamadeh and I thought that Ben would take the chance to go as maximalist as possible. That means picking the wilder, candy-filled flavors like the Birthday Party or the Hangover, or maybe something simple yet eye-catching, like the Funfetti. Maybe we’ll find out more about his cookie preferences as Season 3 goes on, but for now, let’s commemorate his murder with a big old cookie and a glass of milk.

Yasmeen Hamadeh contributed additional reporting to this story.

Only Murders in the Building Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes streaming weekly.