snickerdoodles: a hug in cookie form. soft, puffy and cinnamon-y, these are the ultimate snickerdoodle recipe. I tested many different versions to arrive at this one.

The cake is rich with coffee flavor. Nut brittle crowns this cake that looks fancy but is truly simple to make. From "The Secret Life of Cookies" podcast with Joyce Vance and Marissa Rothkopf.

I made this cake for the magnificent E. Jean Carroll, in attempt to create the ‘white cake with white frosting’ she had on her sixth birthday. E. Jean’s enthusiastically remembers it as the best cake she ever had, and told me she’s been looking to eat a cake as good ever since. Whether it’s your dream birthday cake or not, it’s a great cake recipe to have at the ready, as it gussies up really well.

Caramel, shortbread and a crumbly topping. These simple-sounding bar cookies quickly become the favorites of anyone who eats them. Adapted from pastry king Nick Malgieri's recipe they make good gifts, idea for tea parties, Mother's Day, Easter, Valentine's Day and Christmas. Also good for eating on a random Tuesday in December. Great British Bake-Off.

These are Linzer thaler, or coins. Named for two of my favorite people (MIchael and CArina — get it?) who should’ve gotten married this weekend in Austria. Covid made them cancelElegant and nutty, like Carina and Michael, these feature hazelnuts and apricot jam, take some time to make, but like a good marriage, the work is worth it. Made with Guittard chocolate and Bonne Maman jam and no they don’t sponsor me, but I think it’s good for my SEO.

These peanut butter kiss-cookies come with a few tweaks c/o my daughter, Cate, which make them unique to our family.

These darn bars are delightful. Layers of lush lemony cheesecake, raspberry jam and shortbread all play very well together. Invite them into your home. They’re easy to make too.

This is a biscotti to make your own. For this version I chose to use orange extract and zest, pistachios, golden raisins and dark chocolate chips. I often make them with lemon oil, lemon zest, slivered almonds and dried cranberries. Or with vanilla, dried cherries and chocolate chunks. Play around. Let me know what combos you try. These keep well and make a nifty gift.

Delicate and crumbly, these cookies have an intense cocoa flavor, are studded with bittersweet chocolate chunks and offer up the occasional hit of fleur de sel. Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Korova or World Peace cookies. "These cookies are so addictive. Oh my gosh." --my daughter as I write this.

Oranges and lemons say the cookies of St. Clement’s. These elegant, pillowy cookies are delicate. According to one taster: they’re “like clouds,” They are one of my favorites and a great Christmas cookie gift.

Latke cookies. Yup, Buttery sweet dough, packed with crushed potato chips and M&Ms for Hanukah, or whenever you crave a sweet-salty cookie. Some might call this a potato chip cookie. Either way: delicious and funl

A brown sugar cookie that will change the minds of sugar cookie nay-sayers. This is the cookie Santa wants. Caramel-y and melt-in-your-mouth. Delectable. A Christmas cookie that raises the bar for other sugar cookies.

Suvaroffs are an Austrian raspberry-jam filled vanilla-scented shortbread. In my house it wouldn’t be the holidays without these delicate cookies. Perfect for a holiday cookie swap.

This is a cowboy cookie gone wild and packed with just about everything from oats to coconut, to chocolate chips to nuts to dried cherries. Or cranberries. Or M&Ms or peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips or almonds or … It’s quite a flexible cookie, that eats like a meal. It might be nice with a little orange zest too.

Crumbly shortbread made with Parmesan and Pecorino-Romano cheeses, rolled in everything bagel seasoning. Perfect with wine, cocktails, seltzer ANYTHING. The ultimate cheese nibble.