Cookie

An updated version of Scottish shortbread.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge — the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

This brownie, baked in a tart pan, gets its moistness from cream cheese and its fudginess from the best-quality cocoa and chocolate. Little puddles of ganache are poured into holes made in the brownie, after it has baked, with a the handle of a wooden spoon. Chocolate doesn't get better than this.

These are favorites in Mexico and Russia.

"The Farm of Beverly Hills has the most incredible, delectable giant brownies!" says Cindy Grand of San Francisco, CA. "They taste more like fudge with a light, crunchy surface. Would you help me get the recipe?" These are probably the fudgiest brownies we've ever tried—in fact, they seemed too rich to serve in giant squares, so we've cut them smaller. They taste even better the day after they're baked.

You can start making these savory cookies up to three days ahead. Even easier: Serve the cheese roll with store-bought crackers. (We especially liked this roulade made with a spiced cranberry-apple chutney, but any thick chutney will work.)

These bar cookies feature two layers of decadence — chocolate chip cookie and brownie. Additional butter and egg in this cookie dough give the bars a chewier texture.

You might want to begin by baking one cookie to get the hang of folding before trying two at a time. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

To get a neater slice, chill the bars first.

The honey makes these delicate cookies light and crisp. Offer them with Vin Santo (an Italian dessert wine made from dried Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes), cream Sherry, Port or Sauternes.

When freshly baked, these appealing cookies are chewy, crisp, and tender all at the same time. If stored in an airtight container for a day, they are still delicious, only softer.

These delicate crisps resemble rolled tuiles. Using an offset spatula makes spreading the batter much easier.

For the fudgiest brownies, be sure not to overbake these, from Steffi Berne's Cookie Jar Cookbook.

"Here in Seattle, there's a place called 60th Street Desserts that makes fabulous lemon shortbread bars; the cookies are both sweet and tart," says Lucille van der Hagen of Seattle, WA. "Could you ask Joan Williams, the owner, for the recipe?" A crumb topping makes a nice addition to the classic bar cookie. Prepare the filling while the crust is baking; if the crust cools before the lemon filling is poured over it, the filling might seep beneath the crust.