Electric Mixer

Type: Drop cookie
Habitat: United States
Description: These are my first-ever memorized recipe, which I make again and again. These are easy and quick to make and combine sweet, crunchy vanilla-scented meringue with toasted walnuts and dark chocolate morsels.
Field Notes: My mom found this recipe in a church cookbook, where they were called Surprise Meringues. The surprise is that you only see a hint of the chocolate and nuts inside the cookie; when you bite into them, there is an explosion of flavor and textures.
Lifespan: 2 weeks at room temperature in airtight container.

This recipe was created to prepare <epi:recipeLink ="14257">Miniature Olive Focaccias with Marinated Peppers</epi:recipeLink>.

With apologies to mom, I've adapted this recipe just slightly.

Honey cake is often served during Rosh Hashanah because honey symbolizes wishes for "sweet" things to come. The cake becomes moister and its flavors deepen a day or two after it's made. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 hr (includes cooling)

These bar cookies feature two layers of decadence — chocolate chip cookie and brownie. Additional butter and egg in this cookie dough give the bars a chewier texture.

"I started cooking when I was a 'young married' in my twenties and realized I liked it," writes Sheryl Hurd-House of Jupiter, Florida. "But I'm having even more fun cooking now that our three children are grown and it's just me and my husband, Garry." Frozen berries — thawed, of course — can stand in for fresh ones in the winter. Prepare the frozen "baskets" (made from cream cheese that’s lightened with whipped cream) at least two hours and up to three days before serving.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Blueberry-Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting .

Essentially, these are old-fashioned sugar cookies all dressed up for the holidays. If you want to use icing for decoration, follow the directions for the icing in the New England Molasses Gingerbread Cookies recipe.

Canned salmon (with soft, edible bones) and potatoes are good sources of calcium.

Colorful bits of cranberries, walnuts, and pistachios make these simple cookies sparkle for the holidays.

This dark, moist cake gets its deep flavor from blackstrap molasses, which may not sound appealing on its own but is wonderful in this cake.

The classic dessert gets a holiday twist with eggnog flavors and an opulent presentation. Begin making this one day before serving.

Judith W. Harris of San Mateo, California, writes: "I recently made these chocolate almond bars for a tea. They were all consumed with requests for more." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Elisa Mazzaferro-Rosenberg of Fort Collins, Colorado, writes: "I love to entertain, but between coming home late — I just completed my Ph.D. in small animal clinical sciences — and feeding my husband, Adam, I haven't had the time to have friends over much. I do manage to cook for holidays, though, and one of my favorite things is ricotta pie. This version, from my grandma Elsie, is a traditional Easter sweet on both sides of my Italian family."