Cookie

Ellen Schwab, Bethesda, Md.
"I created this cookie, which combines my two favorite flavors — hazelnut and chocolate — just for this contest."

A chewy brownie with an intense coffee flavor.

The generous amount of cinnamon in this recipe makes for especially flavorful cookies.

To give these cookies a pretty curved shape, drape them over a wooden dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon immediately after removing them from the cookie sheet.

These irresistible treats are filled with dried apricots, figs and cherries as well as dates and walnuts, and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Supermarket staples — puff pastry and fruit jams — are transformed into delicate teatime treats that require very little effort.

(BISCOTTI ALL'ARANCIO E MANDORLE) While all Italian cookies are referred to as biscotti, these are really "biscotti," which means they are baked twice. True biscotti are made in many different flavor combinations in many different parts of the country. These delicate ones come from the region of Lazio, where Rome is located. The secret to the cookies' lightness is not to use too much flour and to freeze the dough before forming it into logs.

Here's an excellent new use for maple syrup. These bar cookies are very sweet and deliciously sticky.

Chocolate lovers will be in heaven when they taste these ultra-moist treats. The marbled topping works on most bar cookies.

Freezing the rugelach before baking helps the cookies maintain their shape. For gift giving, layer them between sheets of waxed paper and arrange in tins lined with colorful cellophane or tissue paper.

Christina has been making these super-easy brownies since she was a teenager.