Cookie

Editor's note: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live. This recipe is loosely adapted from an old Martha Stewart recipe. If you can't find blanched hazelnuts, toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in the middle of a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or just until the skins start to blister, then wrap them in a kitchen towel, and let steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to loosen and remove the skins.

After sampling hundreds of brownies in the Gourmet magazine test kitchens, along with baking countless more at home (my first was from the cult classic Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls), I feel qualified to declare my pride in this brownie. It's old-fashioned in its use of unsweetened chocolate, yet the addition of cocoa takes it to the deeper, darker chocolate place we crave these days. Not everyone loves nuts in their brownie, but without them, brownies seem more like dense squares of chocolate cake. When you do the done test, the toothpick comes out clean—no dilemmas over the moistness of the crumbs clinging to the pick—yet when you cut the brownies into pieces, you'll slice through the requisite thin crust to reveal super-moist and fudgy goodness. Editors' Note: Kemp Minifie reimagined the foil tray frozen dinner for Gourmet Live. Her updated menu includes: meatloaf made from grass-fed beef, scalloped potatoes, lemony green veggies, and your new favorite brownies for dessert.

The big flavors of Mark Overbay's artisanal Big Spoon Roasters nut butters inspired his partner, Megan Lynam, to create this instant favorite. The complex nuttiness comes from the addition of ground pecans to the mix.

Editor's note: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live. King Arthur's white whole-wheat flour is preferable for these yummies. Use festive sprinkles on them if baking them for the holidays.

Editor's note: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live. These bite-sized cookie balls are made of all the best things: ground vanilla wafers, ground pecans, confectioner's sugar, white Karo syrup, and good bourbon whiskey.

This rich, sweet dessert is almost candylike, though still nourishing with a decent dose of high-protein pecans and almond flour.

Editor's note: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live. I first encountered this old-time recipe fifteen years ago, when I worked in the test kitchen of Ladies' Home Journal. I was a bit of a food snob back then and questioned how anything with marshmallows and cornflakes, not to mention green food coloring and cinnamon red-hots, could be considered edible. To my surprise, the crunchy, wheaty, sticky sweetness of these wreaths was quite pleasing when freshly made, and the air-dried wreaths were shiny, adorable, and perfect for adorning the mantlepiece as well as hanging from window frames and on the Christmas tree.

These little citrus-scented cakes cook in just 10 minutes, which means that if you prepare the batter ahead of time and bake them right after the table is cleared, you can serve them warm for an extra-special touch. They're especially delicious dipped into Ginger-Yogurt Mousse with Pistachio Meringue .

This whoopie pie is like a root beer float turned into a cake.

This old-fashioned classic has many renditions but we love this one best; feel free to substitute milk, white, butterscotch, or bittersweet chocolate chips for the semi-sweet and almonds, walnuts, or peanuts for the pecans.

Another great variation on the classic sugar cookie, this version is just a little deeper and richer than its inspiration.

These otherwise simple cookies have a big "wow" factor. They're addictive, but not in the same way as a certain famous chocolate sandwich cookie. Eating an entire sleeve of those cookies makes me feel vaguely ashamed. But baking and then eating a bunch of these, the homemade gluten-free version, makes me feel clever, ingenious even.

These chocolate wafer cookies are like the kind that tends to be sold in a sleeve, since they're delicate and can't be manhandled. They're fabulous alone, but are show-stoppers when they're used to make Chocolate Sandwich Cookies . I bet you could get your kids to eat all manner of vegetables just by dangling the promise of these babies at the end of a meal. Not that I've ever done that.

People always ask what makes these brownies so good. The answer is simple: crunchy, crispy rice cereal (thank you, Claude)! These brownies freeze well, staying fresh tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 month, and thaw quickly for an almost-instant homemade dessert. Keep a stash handy.

Gulkand ke biskut The all-American classic cookie has taken a detour to India in this recipe. The candied rose petals and dark, semi-sweet chocolate are divine together. Candied rose petals, known as Gulkand or rose spread, and are available in Indian grocery stores.

Supposedly whoopie pies get their name from the fact that Amish women would occasionally pack these treats in the farmer's lunchboxes and when discovered the men would yell "Whoopie!" Traditionally whoopie pies are two round mounds of chocolate cake with a creamy frosting sandwiched in between. For a twist on tradition, I love to make Red Velvet Whoopie pies.

Editor's note: Use these Peanut Butter Cookies to make Carol Kiciski's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches . These are the simplest of gluten-free desserts and a great cookie to make with kids. No mixers or special equipment are needed, just a bowl and a spoon. For those with peanut allergies, sunflower and almond butter work equally well, just make sure to stir the almond butter before using to incorporate any oil that may have risen to the top.

Everyone needs a real butter cookie once in a while. I certainly do. These cookies showcase the intense nuttiness of amaranth flour. Rolling them in minuscule amaranth seeds gives them a playful touch and adds a nice crunch, but they are also delicious without. Fine sea salt retains some of its crystalline texture during baking, adding sparks of salt to contrast the natural sweetness of the whole grain flours. For best outcome allow the dough to chill thorougly and firm up, ideally overnight. If the dough balls become soft while you finish them with the walnuts, as in step 4, chill the baking sheet with the cookies for 20 minutes before baking.

Sprinkle these simple cookies with sanding sugar and serve them with ice cream. Or leave off the sugar and serve with tea for a more savory option.

How they fight fat Greek yogurt's combo of protein, fat and carbs helps burn belly fat; the creamy stuff delivers twice as much protein as other yogurts do, so you'll feel more satiated.