Cookie

Miss Lewis mentions buttermilk cookies, which she pairs with ice-cold lemonade, but as far as we know, she never committed a recipe to paper. When we developed one, the big debate was about texture: Soft or crisp? What you see here is the cookie of your dreams, with a tender interior and the slightest bit of crispness around the edge.

This variation on spice cookies will beguile with its unlikely ingredients: A little curry powder provides an unplaceable base note for flat brown-sugar tuiles studded with pistachios and chocolate chunks. And these are the least fussy of cookies—just spread the batter, sprinkle with chocolate and nuts, and then break up into pieces after baking.

Whether you dunk them in milk, pry them apart, or devour them whole, sandwich cookies are irresistible. These, with their crisp chocolate wafers and ganache filling made from fine-quality white chocolate, are so much better than that supermarket version.

These pretty little cookies are similar to the bakery staples, but made with a flaky, homey, easier version of puff pastry. A liberal sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar in between the layers gives each cookie both sweetness and a hint of spice.

Love a cookie with crunch? These thin, crisp butter cookies are for you—each one is topped with crumbled almond praline, and its flavor plays on the time-tested combination of caramel and salt.

These chocolate-dipped stars look beautiful on the table, and their ethereal texture means guests can nibble without filling up. All three flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and coffee—come from one batter.

Thumbprint cookies are a holiday classic, and we've tripled their appeal by forming each cookie into a tiny trio that showcases three jewel-toned jams. Each one is like a miniature holiday ornament.

Want to shake up your cookie platter? Simply make a notch in two of these lightly spiced sugar cookies, then interlock them to create an edible sculpture that also makes a beautiful tree ornament.

These thin chocolate cookies taste just like the very top layer of a brownie. SERVING SUGGESTION: With milk.

SERVING SUGGESTION: With pre-dinner drinks or on a salumi platter.

For a lemony twist, reduce the vanilla extract to 3/4 teaspoon and add 1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel.

Dry mustard in a cookie? Absolutely. It amps up the spiciness, adding just the perfect amount of heat.

The best part about making these Christmas cookies? Cutting them into holiday shapes, of course. Cold dough is easier to work with, so chill your dough in the freezer for five minutes if it starts to get warm. 

These brownies are extra chocolaty: Each one has a caramel- or cappuccino-filled chocolate square in its center. You can also use filled truffles or an assortment of chocolate bars with soft fillings. For an even more decadent dessert, serve the brownies with vanilla ice cream.

Deliciously sweet, savory, and salty.