Baking

Thumbprint cookies are a holiday classic, and we've tripled their appeal by forming each cookie into a tiny trio that showcases three jewel-toned jams. Each one is like a miniature holiday ornament.

Want to shake up your cookie platter? Simply make a notch in two of these lightly spiced sugar cookies, then interlock them to create an edible sculpture that also makes a beautiful tree ornament.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from 1080 Recipes by Simone and Inés Ortega. Empanada Gallega

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker. One of my favorite treats when I was growing up was malted milk balls. I couldn't seem to get enough of them. I vividly remember biting through the crunchy exterior of milk chocolate to find the malt ball inside. Yum! I still love the flavor of malt and believe it goes well with milk chocolate. This cheesecake is inspired by those malted milk balls I loved as a child. It's dense and creamy, with a crunchy cookie crust and a deep malt flavor. As with other cheesecakes, this one has to be made in advance of serving because it needs hours to cool and chill. But it also freezes beautifully, so you can make it well in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from James Peterson's book Cooking. Cakes like this carrot cake or banana bread are different than most cakes in that they call for oil, rather than butter. While the oil doesn't contribute much flavor, especially if you use vegetable oil, it does allow you to serve the cakes cold without them hardening, as they would if they were made with butter. Grate the carrot on the finest holes of a box grater that won't turn it to mush, or use the finest grater attachment on your food processor.

To keep the pie crust from getting soggy, brush the bottom with egg white.

Juicy berries are marvelous nestled under a crispy top. This dessert is easy enough for a beginning baker to make and serve with pride.

Sour cherries have a short season. If you can't find fresh ones, use quick-frozen or canned sour cherries.

These thin chocolate cookies taste just like the very top layer of a brownie. SERVING SUGGESTION: With milk.

SERVING SUGGESTION: With pre-dinner drinks or on a salumi platter.

Not your typical chicken pot pie. Cumin, cinnamon, and paprika add an aromatic spiciness, which is balanced by briny green olives and sweet golden raisins.

The fragrant spices in this apple crisp are pure Christmas, and the cornmeal in the topping adds a rustic touch.

Dried fruit, nuts, and oil-cured olives make this fruitcake something special.

Rich and silky, with black pepper and crystallized ginger adding a little punch.

If you end up with a few extra shortcakes, they're great for breakfast.

A creamy chocolate pudding fills this rich cake and an easy-to-make chocolate band wraps it up in style.

Store-bought peppermint ice cream will vary in color from pale pink to bright pink.

For a lemony twist, reduce the vanilla extract to 3/4 teaspoon and add 1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel.