Cookie

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.

"My parents and I recently celebrated my mom's birthday at a local restaurant called The Farmhouse," writes Karen Eschenbach of Emmaus, Pennsylvania. "We ended a wonderful meal with an even better dessert—chocolate-peanut butter 'beggars' purses.'" Each elegant phyllo "purse" contains a flourless brownie topped with peanut butter and chocolate ganache.

This recipe makes more meringue than you'll need for 8 servings. You can pipe the extra into sticks and bake them to eat as a snack. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

For the fudgiest brownies, be sure not to overbake these, from Steffi Berne's Cookie Jar Cookbook.

This recipe originally accompanied the following recipes:
Lemon Bars
Fudgey Brownie Bars
Pecan-Pie Bars
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Macaroon Bars

If you can't find Italian Moscato, substitute Essencia, the Muscat-based dessert wine made in California. Serve this rich custard with the raisin-studded cookies featured here.

Try jazzing up the shortbread with chopped toasted nuts. We particularly like pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds. Use your favorite fine-quality butter for the best-tasting cookies.

"Many of my friends are chocolate lovers, and this recipe seems to do the trick every time," writes Ann Bolger of East Lansing, Michigan.

These are favorites in Mexico and Russia.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min

Ilene Danuff of New York, New York, writes: "This recipe was created by my mother. I've substituted chocolate chips for the M&M's MINIs that she uses." Mandelbrot is a traditional Jewish cookie that resembles biscotti but is more tender. Claire Danuff sprinkles her cookies with cinnamon sugar before baking, but we prefer them plain. To try the topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Here's a party-size ice cream sandwich that everyone will love. We use two 9-inch-diameter cake pans so that the cookies keep their round shape when baking. And there's no need for last-minute fuss; this can be made up to three days ahead.

You will need to chill the dough at least 4 hours. Also, if you bake these cookies a couple of days ahead, the vanilla flavor will become more pronounced.

These are especially rich and chewy.

Partner these with ripe pears and a blue cheese, like Roquefort or Gorgonzola.