Electric Mixer

These cookies would also make for an awesome ice cream sandwich: Skip the pistachio filling and use softened store-bought gelato or ice cream instead.

Upgrade your campfire treats with soft honey-cinnamon cookies slicked with melted chocolate and two toasted, charred marshmallows.

Equal parts fruit crumble and coffee cake, this not-too-sweet dessert starts out bright pink but bakes to a toasty golden brown.

If you only have an 8 1/2x4 1/2" pan, there's no need to go out and get a new one. Simply hold back about 1 3/4 cups batter for later—it makes a mean waffle!

This rich, spiced buttercream is perfect for chocolate or gingerbread cake. The recipe yields enough buttercream to ice a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. For cupcakes, halve the recipe.

This rich buttercream is lightened and brightened with the addition of lemon curd. The recipe yields enough buttercream to ice a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. For cupcakes, halve the recipe.

These dream bars have made the rounds. My mother's friend Phyllis Grossman passed the recipe to my mother when I was growing up. My mother passed the recipe to me, and I have since passed it along to friends. We all make it. I have baked versions with milk chocolate and hot fudge, but the best filling by far is bittersweet chocolate. I melt the chocolate, spread it on a sheet pan and chill it, break it into shards, and press it into the dough. Then I spread a brown sugar meringue on top. I warn you—as I warn every new employee at Hot Chocolate—proceed with caution. You have to either never eat these or succumb to the fact that you will be addicted forever to Dream Bars.

This moist, simple cake has a tender golden crumb and a subtle citrus flavor. I love a thin slice—okay, a thick slice—in the middle of the afternoon with coffee, but it's also well matched with summer berries and stone fruits. My husband enjoys it for breakfast. Accompany the cake and fruit with a dollop of the Yogurt Cream, if you like. In winter, pair the cake with a citrus compote or poached quince. This recipe is adapted from one given to me by Bill Corbett, executive pastry chef for the Absinthe Group in San Francisco, who uses yogurt frequently in his desserts. The cake stays moist for a week if stored in a lidded plastic cake container.

Brownies can go two ways—fudgy or cakey—and these rich, decadent squares decidedly fall into the fudgy category.

A classic combination in an adorable little package. The cupcakes, which are reminiscent of banana bread, would be a great breakfast treat (with or without the frosting).

The ribbon of brown butter plays a raw cookie dough role in the center of these pecan blondies.

Rolling out the dough between sheets of parchment paper means it won't stick to your pin or tear.

Here at Epicurious, we're big fans of the nutty, fruity buckwheat-biscuit shortcakes in Alice Medrich's cookbook, Pure Desserts. So we created a version we can enjoy all year long. Cooking dried apricots in Earl Grey tea with a vanilla bean infuses them with sweet spices that pair nicely with the earthy bitterness of buckwheat flour. Don't forget to freeze the butter for 1 hour before grating.

For a high-contrast swirl, go easy when folding in the nut butter. A stroke or two with the spatula is enough.

For a delicate—not brittle—crunch, don't overbake. It's okay if the center of the cookie is still pale.

Because it contains more essential oils, whole grain rye flour can spoil quickly. Store the unused portion in the fridge or freezer.

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.