Stand Mixer

Royal icing is a sugar-and-egg-white-based frosting that fully hardens, making it a favorite icing for cookie decorating. Its pure white color also makes it easy to mix vibrant colors. Because the eggs aren’t cooked, this recipe calls for pasteurized egg whites, which can be found in most grocery stores, but separated egg whites may be used as well. Alternatively, many specialty cake supply stores sell meringue powder or royal icing powder (see Resources, page 190) to which you need only add water (and sometimes confectioners’ sugar) to mix it. Frosting cookies with royal icing is somewhat difficult and takes practice to do really well, but once you’ve mastered it, it will take your holiday and special events cookies to a whole new level (see For Royal Icing Cookies, page 12).

This is one of my favorite recipes for summer entertaining, and it works well for both casual and more formal events. These desserts can be set out on a tray at a backyard barbecue or passed with champagne at a swankier affair. The cookies are baked in a mini muffin pan in order to give them the shape of a small tartlet crust. Topping them with fresh whipped cream and macerated strawberries (strawberries that have been softened by soaking them in liquid) makes them a more unique option than traditional cookies, but they require minimal extra effort. Balsamic vinegar is a classic pairing with strawberries because the particularly sweet vinegar balances the sweet-tart flavor in the berries and brings out a more intense berry flavor.

This is one of the best cookie doughs to keep on hand in your freezer, especially if you have kids. Whether you are in need of a rainy day activity or a last-minute gift, pulling this dough out of the refrigerator or freezer, prerolled, gives you a solution at your fingertips. The only effort you will need to make depends on how you choose to decorate the cookies. Because this is such a simple cookie, imperfections in the dough will be hard to hide. For that reason, it is especially important to beat the butter and brown sugar until they are completely smooth. Any lumps of either ingredient will cause noticeable imperfections in the baked cookie and make the cookie more difficult to decorate.

With its rich dark chocolate flavor and smooth, glossy ganache filling, this cookie easily transcends the basic cookie plate to more formal occasions. A dark chocolate amaretto ganache fills the center, but this recipe can also be made with espresso in the cookie and ganache, instead of amaretto, or you can try it with other liqueurs or flavorings. Please note that the addition of the liqueur or espresso to this dough makes it much softer than the other thumbprint varieties, so the recipe requires a couple additional steps in order for the thumbprints to hold their shape.

This simple, buttery cinnamon sugar cookie—crispy around the edges and chewy in the middle—is one of our most popular cookies at Tribeca Treats. Despite the sugar coating, the butter and salt offset the sweetness, giving the cookie a nice balance of flavors. For a more traditional sugar cookie, you can leave out the cinnamon and coat the cookie with only sugar. Snickerdoodles bake to form a perfectly round, flat shape, so they make a beautiful, simple holiday gift stacked in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon.

This cookie is a slightly different base recipe from the chocolate chip cookie recipes, but the basic technique is the same. The brown sugar and oats are the most noticeable flavors in this chewy cookie. For a crunchier version that highlights the raisins more, add 2 to 4 minutes to the cooking time. You can also play around with this recipe by adding semisweet chocolate chips or dried cranberries (or both) instead of raisins.

This cookie is a simple variation of Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 24). By switching out the chocolate chips for white chocolate and coconut, you get something a little more exotic. Play around with this base cookie dough and change up the flavor with a variety of different mix-ins. This particular recipe goes well with tropical themes or summery occasions.

Chocolate chip cookies should be the basis for anyone’s foray into baking. They are simple to make, an all-time favorite, and extremely versatile. Portioned on the smaller side, these cookies can make for a satisfying end to a dinner party or a welcome thank-you gift. The spectrum of chocolate chip cookies is wide, with personal favorites ranging from thin and crispy to soft and chewy. This particular recipe results in a cookie on the softer, more cakey side. It is important to chill the dough thoroughly, for at least one hour, before scooping and baking these cookies. If the dough is too soft when it goes into the oven, the cookie will spread and be very thin.

THIS LONGTIME PASTA & CO FAVORITE crosses a pretzel with a breadstick. (The word brezel is German for “breadstick.”) Flagship and Just Jack cheeses give the breadsticks a creamy flavor, but you can substitute Gruyère, Cheddar, or Parmesan. Don’t let the thought of making dough intimidate you; it’s easy to get the hang of and worth the effort. You can, however, use pre-made pizza dough; 2 pounds of dough will make 10 breadsticks.

THESE CINNAMON BUNS WERE INSPIRED BY the Magic Bakery Café on Whidbey Island, a small island north of Seattle, known for its handmade baked goods. Waking up to the aroma of freshly baked buns is guaranteed to start your weekend on the right note. Adding the potato to the dough results in a very light and moist bun. If you prefer your sugar later in the day, serve the buns as a dessert with Three-Citrus Honey-Butter Syrup (page 218) drizzled over the top.

A BUCKLE IS AN AMERICAN COFFEE CAKE, and this sweet and moist version is a nice departure from muffins. Use fresh, juicy blueberries in the summer for a true blueberry flavor.

WITH A CHOCOLATE CRUST and a creamy espresso filling, this pie is like a mocha cappuccino disguised as dessert. Here are a few tricks for a successful pie: Make sure the butter and cream for the filling are at room temperature, and remember to scrape the sides of the bowl frequently as you mix. For serving, cut the pie with a knife that’s been dipped in hot water and wiped dry.

THIS CREAMY CHEESECAKE IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN the classic New York cheesecake. Instead of cream cheese, we use Beecher’s Honey Blank Slate, a naturally cultured, soft, fresh farmer’s cheese blended with Washington State honey, but a good substitute is fresh ricotta cheese mixed with honey. One tip for a successful cheesecake: Before serving, run a knife around the edge to separate it from the pan. This will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Top the cheesecake with Caramel Sauce (page 183) or Northwest Berry Syrup (page 221).

This short pie crust dough is lighter and crispier than the Flaky Pie Crust Dough (page 194).

OUR EXECUTIVE CHEF AND PASTRY GURU (and hazelnut lover) Lura Smith has made this rich, dense torte for fifteen years to celebrate the hazelnuts of the region. The torte is made with agave syrup, a natural substitute for corn syrup. Agave syrup is available at specialty grocery stores.

THE KEY TO THESE SWEET AND CHUNKY apricot bars is using the highest-quality apricot preserves possible. Look for the word preserves on the label rather than jam or jelly; preserves have more fruit chunks. (Artificial colors are sometimes added to apricot jams, jelly, and preserves, so check the list of ingredients on the label.) These are a great dessert for a picnic or a bake sale because they’re easy to transport and stay fresh for days.

IF YOU THINK YOU DON’T LIKE GINGER, these cookies are sure to change your mind. With cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, these soft, chewy cookies have a bite all their own. Ground ginger has a more intense flavor than fresh and is ideal for baking. The only way to improve on these cookies is to sandwich vanilla ice cream between pairs of them. (See photograph on page 174.)

SNICKERDOODLE IS ANOTHER NAME FOR a vanilla butter cookie covered in cinnamon sugar. Light and soft in texture, they’re simple to make. Cut them into shapes, such as triangles, before baking and dip the pieces in melted chocolate once they’re cool for a fun dessert. They also make the perfect cookie for ice cream sandwiches. (See photograph on page 174.)

IF YOU KNOW A CHOCOHOLIC, THEN START BAKING. These intense chocolate cookies are made with three types of chocolate—unsweetened, semisweet, and cocoa powder—for maximum flavor, but have a light-as-air texture. They are incredibly satisfying without being dense or heavy.