For Taylor Swift, August slipped away like a moment in time, but for fans of the pop star, time stood still during the last hot month of summer as Swift began to tease the release of her 10th studio album, appropriately titled Midnights. As described by the artist, Midnights represents “13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.” A testament to the trials and tribulations of love that the Swift brand has become synonymous with.
The concept of midnights as a mood is nothing new in the Taylor Swift universe. On her fourth studio album, Red, she commemorated the importance of turning 22 by singing about breakfast at midnight and falling in love with strangers. The deluxe version of her fifth album, 1989, found Swift writing about drinking coffee at midnight in the song “You Are in Love,” which she penned for collaborator Jack Antonoff and his then-girlfriend Lena Dunham. And while the lyrics are more subtle, every fan of Red knows that “All Too Well” describes a tender moment in the middle of the night when she was dancing ‘round the kitchen in the refrigerator light.
Time plays a vital role in Taylor Swift’s discography, but there’s another theme associated with the clock striking 12 — and that’s food. From dinner parties to event cocktails and on-the-road snacks, Swift’s love for food has been well-documented across the internet. With that in mind, we’ve dreamt up the ideal Midnights listening party with delicious food and drink accompaniments.
So, dust off your record player and prep the kitchen because we’re cooking up the perfect blend of music and eats with our picks for what to serve at your Midnights listening party — just in time for the album’s release on October 21.
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Start with breakfast crepes
Get the party started with the most important meal of the day — Swift style. In 2012, Taylor Swift shared her favourite fridge items with Bon Appétit, and one of the items that made the top of her list were eggs — a key component in her morning routine.
“I love making buckwheat crepes with ham, Parmesan cheese, and a fried egg on top. It’s my go-to breakfast,” she explained while promoting the release of 1989. And while the singer didn’t share her recipe with the publication, you can use your imagination to recreate it, or try one of these timeless egg recipes.
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Pour up caramel lattes
Remember when fans famously misheard the “Blank Space” lyric “got a long list of ex-lovers” as “Starbucks lovers”? Well, it might not have been too far off.
Swift has frequently shared her appreciation for caffeine, which isn’t restricted to simple drip coffee. The star has been snapped by paparazzi drinking iced coffee and has confirmed that she occasionally enjoys a PSL. So why not keep the partygoers awake and dancing with Taylor’s Version of a Caramel Latte at Starbucks? Her signature drink dropped during the Red (Taylor’s Version) promotion and can likely still be ordered hot or cold at your nearest Starbucks location.
Related: How to order the best 3 Starbucks fall drinks (not on the menu).
Bake some pumpkin-spice treats
The pop star also shared her favourite winter meal in her Bon Appétit interview, and it’s no surprise that pumpkin, spice and everything nice played an essential role. She declared her love for winter smells and flavours, stating, “I love nutmeg and cinnamon. I bake pumpkin bread for everyone I know and make ginger molasses cookies, hot chocolate, and chai. It’s the most perfect time for baking for people you love.”
So, whether you crave gluten, sweets or warm drinks for party planning, know that Swift has your full support — and we’re betting she wouldn’t turn down one of these pumpkin cardamom cream cheese muffins, either.
Related: Taylor Swift received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from NYU.
Choose chai cookies
Thanks to TikTokers the world over, die-hard Swift fans have rediscovered an old Tumblr post back when Swift used to randomly reply to fans, and in this case, she delivered the goods. After posting an image of chai cookies baked from scratch, fans urged the singer to share the recipe, and she happily replied with two options to recreate the very same cookies the singer provided at the 1989 Secret Sessions — a coveted event that allowed a few lucky fans to listen to the new album release with her.
Now, you can recreate a Midnights secret session of your own using Taylor Swift’s preferred chai cookies recipe.
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Make hummus your dip of choice
Swift dropped several food favourites during her 73 Questions interview with Vogue, and when asked, “what’s the one thing you need to have in your fridge at any given time?” she replied, “hummus, weirdly.”
This leaves the door open for many snack options, including veggies, pita bread, chips and any other vessel you choose to dip, spread and smear with your chosen hummus flavour.
If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you may consider making your own hummus to impress your music-loving guests.
See also: She’s got ‘Style’: Taylor Swift’s style evolution.
Sip on Diet Coke — or even vodka Diet Coke cocktails
Fans of Swift may recall her 2013 Coca-Cola Stay Extraordinary campaign, featuring the song-maker’s commercial debut toting a classic Diet Coke while writing the lyrics to “22” from her Red album. The press release for the campaign included a quote from Swift expressing her love for the fizzy drink. “I’ve said for years that Diet Coke just ‘gets me’ and my lifestyle. I’m so excited about our new partnership.”
In 2014, she joined forces with Coca-Cola again to promote her album 1989. The commercial featured her dear cat Olivia, who appeared to duplicate the more Swift drank from her glass bottle of Diet Coke.
When asked what her cocktail of choice is, Swift has told several publications that she enjoys vodka Diet Coke, giving you the option to provide a spiked version of the sugary beverage at your listening party.
Related: A guide to classic cocktails — so you can order your next drink like a pro.
Build your own burritos
More recently, the singer-songwriter admitted that up until her early 20s she had never eaten a burrito. Taylor shared this morsel of information while filming her 2019 documentary, Miss Americana, when she asked her off-camera producer Joel Little if he eats burritos. Little’s affirmative response, “Of course, I eat burritos,” was quickly met with a curt Swift stating, “some people don’t!” She then revealed to Little that she had her first burrito two years before the filming and proceeded to stuff her face with one, adding chips for that extra crunch.
Recreate Swift’s newfound love for burritos by ordering in our creating a “build your own burrito” stand at home.
See also: Student of Swift-ology? Taylor Swift’s songwriting is a course at a Texas university this fall.
Serve burgers and fries
The 11-time Grammy Award winner has expressed a sincere appreciation for burgers and fries on more than one occasion. In 2010, Swift spoke with WebMD about her healthy eating habits, but quickly pointed out that on the weekends, she leans all the way into comfort foods like burgers and fries, ice cream and baked cookies. She would later echo this sentiment while answering Vogue’s 73 Questions Answered by Your Favorite Celebs video series, stating her drive-through order is a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake — a take-out order we can all appreciate.
Related: Taylor Swift knows the feeling of imposter syndrome all too well.
