Bar Cookie

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

Executive editor Barbara Fairchild has a reputation as the staff chocoholic, so it's no surprise that her kitchen gift for the holidays is a big batch of brownies. A tried-and-true recipe from her mother, these treats are rich and very moist.

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

You would never guess that this rich, moist and delicious cake is lighter than its high-fat counterpart.

In this recipe, dense chocolate cake is topped with a glaze made from raspberry jam and chocolate-fresh berries are the finishing touch. This dessert is elegant picnic fare: Prepare the bars a day ahead, and pack in a covered container.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 hr

"The Farm of Beverly Hills has the most incredible, delectable giant brownies!" says Cindy Grand of San Francisco, CA. "They taste more like fudge with a light, crunchy surface. Would you help me get the recipe?" These are probably the fudgiest brownies we've ever tried—in fact, they seemed too rich to serve in giant squares, so we've cut them smaller. They taste even better the day after they're baked.

This recipe originally accompanied the following recipes:
Lemon Bars
Fudgey Brownie Bars
Pecan-Pie Bars
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Macaroon Bars

These cake-like treats are moist and spicy-and great with milk.

The traditional Mexican flavor combination of cinnamon and chocolate is enhanced by a brown sugar topping.

A chewy brownie with an intense coffee flavor.

Dried sour cherries and a hint of cinnamon add an original twist to a tried-and-true standby. And you don't even need a mixing bowl: The batter is made in the saucepan with the melted chocolate.

This classic cookie combines two of my favorite sweets: buttery-tender Scottish shortbread and satiny lilting English lemon curd. The problem has always been getting a firm enough topping and avoiding a soggy shortbread base. The special technique discovered for this recipe virtually guarantees success. The clean, refreshing flavor of lemon makes these the perfect sweets to follow a rich Christmas goose.

When our executive food editor was a little girl, she liked the Christmas cookies at her best friend Allyson's house better than any others. Mrs. Kolbert, whose recipe this is, was apparently the author of much goodness in this world, as it was she who first introduced Allyson's parents to each other.