Cookie

These soft ginger cookies are dipped in dark chocolate for sophisticated fun.

Yvonne M. Parnes of Batavia, Ohio, got the recipe for these rich, buttery cookies in an e-mail from the McCormick spice company. We like them plain, but drizzled with espresso icing and bittersweet chocolate, they are truly out of this world.

The zing of ginger and the sweetness of molasses combine in perfect proportions in this cookie, sent to us by Jane Booth Vollers of Chester, Connecticut. Her grandmother, Helen Dougherty, made batches and batches of them every holiday season.

These lightly spiced butter cookies are similar to Janhagel, a popular Dutch cookie. Jane Valentine Talbert of Encinitas, California, uses pecans instead of the more traditional almonds.

When Abby Cohen of Oakland, California, was in college, her friend Michael Gevelber would receive these cookies in care packages sent by his Czechoslovakian mother. They taste best when made and filled 1 day ahead.

It's best to have a napkin handy when eating these crunchy chocolate cookies — the confectioners-sugar coating can get messy. After Catherine Rieger of Martinez, California, found the recipe in The Babbo Cookbook, the cookies became a staple in her home.

Fredricka Schwanka of Terryville, Connecticut, re-created her grandmother's recipe for these pastrylike cookies. This dough is extremely tender — if at any time during the filling process it gets too soft to work with, chill it on wax paper on a large baking sheet. You will have leftover filling, which is wonderful spread on toast or an English muffin.

The pleasant bite of anise gives these beautiful cookies a grown-up appeal. This recipe is from Mary McAvoy of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, who has been baking since she was ten years old.

These moist, chewy cookies have an intense almond flavor. Barbara Bruno of New Portland, Maine, enjoys hers with a glass of chilled Champagne.

Despite being low in fat, these little cookies will satisfy any chocolate lover's craving.

A topping of chopped Heath bars gives these brownies a satisfying crunch.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business." Batali calls these soft cookies unscotti because they are baked once, unlike biscotti, which are crisp and baked twice.

This recipe is used to make: Spritz Wreaths
Raspberry Hazelnut Triangles
Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Mocha Butter Balls
Jewel Bowl Cookies
Spiced Icebox Butter Cookies
Apricot Stars
Almond Butter Crisps Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Served with a scoop of ice cream, this crisp, easy shortbread makes an elegant dessert. Try it dipped into melted chocolate or served with coffee and chocolates.

For soft and chewy cookies, bake these just a couple of minutes less than the recipe directs.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 5 1/4 hr

Sambuca, the anise-flavored liqueur often paired with coffee, goes equally well with chocolate — especially in these moist, cake-like, pine-nut-topped brownies.

(Caramel Walnut Fudge Bars)