Cookie

If you want to make any holiday cookie, this is your dough: Just add your choice of mix-ins to create endless delicious variations.

Powdered green tea gives these tender cookies an elf-worthy hue that will stand out, with no icing or decorating needed.

These naturally gluten-free cookies are a cross between two favorite holiday indulgences: truffles and macaroons.

You'll never believe these buttery, crisp cookies with a soft chocolate filling are nut-and gluten-free!

These pretty (gluten-free!) butter cookies come in three flavors: lime, lemon, and grapefruit. Or just pick one variety and triple the amount of zest and juice. You'll find psyllium-husk powder, flax seed, chia seed, and rice-based gluten-free flour at most natural foods stores.

These pretty cookies look as though they are fussy to make, but they are actually slice-and-bake cookies, with holes cut from half of them about halfway through the baking. Buckwheat pairs well with any dark berry or cherry flavor, so feel free to try different preserves. The cookies keep well, but they should be assembled only shortly before serving. Leftover filled cookies will soften a bit, but they will still taste great.

Low-acid Meyer lemons make the citrus flavor of these bars especially vibrant.

These truffle-like cookies dipped in crushed candy are as fun to make as they are to eat.

Indulgent raspberry cream cheese makes homemade brownies even better.

Slightly undercook these mouthwatering morsels for a molten effect.

These taste even better a few days after they're made.

Baking a batch of these classic Austrian sandwich cookies is a project—but totally worth it.

A simple toasty and buttery treat.

Two Halloween favorites—candy corn and pumpkins—meet in these irresistible blondies.

Plain sugar cookies, no matter how well they are made, are a bit boring to me. You may think I have gone off the rails by adding curry powder to cookies, but along with the ground and candied ginger, the combo really wakes up a classic American cookie. Give these a shot!

When you go to Europe, virtually every bakery has at least ten types of dried meringues. American bakeries don't have them, and I don't know why. Crispy, chewy, crunchy meringues are satisfying on their own and can also be used in countless ways: You can sandwich jams or icings between them, top them with whipped cream and fruit, or crumble them over finished desserts to add great texture. This is a simple French meringue with confectioners' sugar folded in to fortify it and make the cookies even lighter and crunchier. You can form these into any shape you want using a piping bag, spoon, or spatula.