Electric Mixer

With 35 percent fewer calories than sugar cookies, these sweets belong in your holiday cookie jar.

Peanut-studded brownies, peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache...what better way to savor the PB-chocolate combo?

This recipe was created by Melissa Walnock, the pastry chef at New York's Tabla. It's part of a special menu for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Aglaia Kremezi's book, The Foods of the Greek Islands. As Kremezi explains, this special cake is enjoyed on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day and has the potential to be lucky. Vassilopita On New Year's Eve or after the family lunch on the first day of the New Year, the father of the family cuts into this rich and aromatic cake, which has the year written in almonds on top and a lucky coin secreted inside. A piece is distributed to each family member, starting with the older ones, and whoever gets the symbolic coin is rewarded with a gift of money and starts the year with an advantage. The basic recipe always contains orange juice, eggs, butter (a luxury in the old days) or margarine and brandy. Like our family, most islanders bake this fragrant cake just once a year. This is my mother's recipe. Serve it on its own for breakfast or as a snack with coffee, tea or a glass of orange juice.

This easy dessert has it all: chocolate cookie crust; rich, creamy filling; and a glistening tumble of berries on top.

Tender cake, creamy filling, crunchy nuts, and tangy–sweet kumquats add up to one glam holiday dessert.

Yule log meets that New Orleans classic, bananas Foster, in a make-ahead dessert.

The classic caviar-topped blini goes sweet: Tender dessert blinis get trimmings and toppings — including tapioca "caviar" — for a create-your-own dessert.

•Look for a sharp, white Cheddar that is on the dry side, such as English Wensleydale Farmhouse Truckle or Extra Old Black Diamond Cheddar.
•It's important not to whip air into the dough — simply mix until blended.

These tiny cakes make terrific gifts, packaged in sets of three — one of each flavor. The basic vanilla batter is also wonderful for other variations — try orange rind and white chocolate-chip, raisin-walnut, or "the kitchen sink" (that's whatever you need to get rid of in your pantry). I also like to keep some of these loaves in my freezer for impromptu breakfast parties. Just move them to the refrigerator before bed, and they'll be thawed by morning.

We like to bake this lightly spiced bread, filled with bits of flavorful candied fruit, in small loaves — perfect for gift-giving. Mild honey lends sweetness, while molasses adds notes of caramel.

Egg whites give these quick, cheesy nibbles their exceptionally light texture. Bite-size portions make them the perfect mouth-popping accompaniment to an aperitif.