Electric Mixer

Pine nuts are known as pignoli in Italy. Almond paste is available in specialty food stores and most supermarkets; do not substitute marzipan.

The dough for these cookies can also be used to make a delicious crust for pies and tarts, such as the Key Lime Tart on page 261; try it for cheesecake, as well.

These cookies are surprisingly rich and light at the same time. Served with cheese and grapes, they are the perfect ending to a multicourse dinner.

These light, crisp cookies are inspired by the Spanish biscuits sold in Olivier Baussan’s store, O&Co., in New York City. They are perfect in the morning with tea or coffee, as a snack anytime, or for dessert, served with ice cream or fresh fruit. You will need to bake them in batches, using two baking sheets each time. Run the sheets under cold water to cool completely, dry thoroughly, then proceed with the next batch.

These shortbread-like cookies hail from Brittany, a region of France renowned for its delicious butter. Be sure not to underbake them or they will not be crisp enough. Scoring the lattice pattern on the top takes a bit of time, but it’s easy to do and the end result is well worth the effort.

First brought to America by Eastern European immigrants, rugelach are popular on nearly every Jewish holiday table (except at Passover).The rich cream-cheese dough is filled with dried fruit, chocolate, or nuts—or a combination of all three.

You can garnish these cookies simply with sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking, or bake them first and then cover with Royal Icing.

These make ideal holiday cookies when festively decorated with icing, but they are also delicious without any adornment.

These classic drop cookies are large, soft, and chewy. Look for grade B maple syrup, which has a deeper flavor than grade A.

A New York specialty for more than half a century, these cookies taste best the day after they are made. Wrap in plastic and keep overnight at room temperature.

While still warm, these cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. As they cool, they become crisp all the way through.

Like brownies, these cookies are dense and fudgy beneath their crackly exteriors. Use your favorite nuts in place of the walnuts, or omit them altogether. The dough can be shaped into balls and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to three weeks; freeze on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag.

Unlike in recipes for chewy cookies, we used more butter and less brown sugar to produce the ideal thin and crisp cookie.

We like the way this cake looks glazed with white chocolate, but you can substitute semisweet chocolate in the glaze recipe, if you prefer. Be careful not to over swirl the vanilla and chocolate batters when you are running a knife through the two; the marbling won’t look as beautiful if you overdo it.

If you are using the miniloaf pans, place them on a baking sheet, and bake cakes for about forty-five minutes.

Poppy seeds give these cakes an interesting texture and appearance, but you can certainly omit them if you prefer.

This recipe does not contain the traditional pound each of butter, eggs, flour, and sugar, but its proportions produce the most delicious results.

This is a slight twist on applesauce cake, relying instead on a homemade pear sauce. The cake can be made a day ahead. Keep it at room temperature, then glaze it and garnish it with pear chips just before serving

This foolproof cake is perfect for beginning bakers.