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Piparelli Abstinence during Lent means that for the forty days preceding Easter, Catholics all over Sicily are supposed to eat cucina magra (literally, lean food). This means no meat, no fat, no eggs. Theoretically. Modern Catholics get to choose what they give up for Lent, and this is called fare un fioretto, or making a sacrifice. There is little indication that pastries and sweets are even near the top of the "to give up" list, other than the presence of quaresimali, the general term for the category of austere cookies that appear in pastry shops during the spring. Piparelli are the Lenten cookies that the people of Messina like best. At the Pasticceria Vinci Domenico in Messina, piparelli are such a favorite that they're now made year-round.

(Teules de Taronja) These crisp cookies are shaped like the terra-cotta roof tiles, teules (tejas in Castilian Spanish), that top village houses—old and new—throughout Spain. Almonds are a common ingredient in Catalan cookies, but we took another cue from the Moors and added candied orange.

A tender shortbread crust with a fruit preserves filling and a chewy nut topping.

Adding macadamia nuts and ginger transforms familiar brownies into something truly extraordinary. For a festive summer finale, serve them with strawberries.

Thin and delicate, these chocolate chip cookies are spiced with ginger.

Nobody can resist brownies, especially when they’re studded with chunks of white chocolate and served with strawberries.

Rather than being crisp, these heirloom cookies are tender and cake-like.

Inspired by the famous Austrian Linzertorte.