Cookie

My childhood memories of Christmas revolve around cookies," says Fran Gallagher Ripsom of Sun Valley, Idaho. "My mother started baking as soon as Thanksgiving was over. She prided herself on a beautiful assortment, never less than 12 kinds of cookies. Some became traditions, but she also tried new recipes. I loved the pinwheel cookies. I often bake them at other times of the year, because they are too delicious to enjoy only at Christmas."

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr (includes cooling)

If you love peanut butter, these cookies will be It. I created what I believe to be quintessential peanut butter cookies to honor the one hundredth anniversary of peanut butter. They are very peanut buttery yet exceptionally light, with a lovely "sandy" bite. At my husband's urging, I doubled up on the peanut butter and decreased the flour, making the chocolate cookie centers seem like biting into a Reese's peanut butter cup. Chocolate centers blend wonderfully with the peanut flavor, but the bright, tart, sticky cherry centers, are my first choice.

Cocoa brownies have the softest center and chewiest candylike top "crust" of all because all of the fat in the recipe (except for a small amount of cocoa butter in the cocoa) is butter, and all of the sugar is granulated sugar rather than the finely milled sugar used in chocolate. Use the best cocoa you know for these fabulous brownies.

These classic cookies, known in Italy as baci di dama ("lady's kisses") taste great with espresso. This recipe, by chef Carla Tomasi of the "Tasting Places" cooking course in Tuscany and other regions of Italy, uses hazelnuts instead of the more traditional almonds. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Shortbread is the ultimate sugar cookie, crisp yet tender, and bursting with buttery flavor. It's a good cookie to make when the cookie monster in you growls but you don't have any eggs in the house. Gluten-free rice flour (cornstarch can be substituted) is used with regular flour to give it a delicate crumb.

One of our staff members is addicted to the rich, mellow taste of his friend Stephanie's walnut cookies. She began making them as a young bride thirty-five years ago, and her family has never celebrated the holidays without a batch or two since.

"Inspired by Caroline Bates's Chesapeake Bay article in the June 1998 Gourmet, I decided to spend a couple of days there with a friend from Holland," says Susan Tingle Goldthwaite of Teaneck, New Jersey. "We stayed at the Waterloo Country Inn and were pleasantly surprised to find that the inn now has a restaurant, called David's at the Waterloo, open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The strawberry napoleon was unlike anything I have ever tasted. Wonderfully fresh strawberries were swirled in the most luscious cream concoction and nestled between two lacy almond cookies. My mouth starts watering just thinking of it again! I'd love to have the recipe." Editors' note: It turns out that chef David Wells and his wife, Lillian, have since moved their restaurant to Salisbury, Maryland, which is about 10 miles from the Waterloo Country Inn. They still offer this delicious dessert at their new place, David's (a bistro!).

These crisp, low-fat cookies are just right for dipping into dessert wine or cappuccino.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

These sand tart cookies are a dream, and actually are the best version I have had of this popular Southern cookie. Aunt Mary made her cookies with ground pecans added to the batter. Halfway through the baking she sprinkled on grated chocolate. These cookies have a seductive "gritty" texture, and are perfect with ice cream, fresh fruit, a cup of coffee or tea, or simply to satisfy a longing sweet tooth.