Baking

Chocolate chip cookies are taken to a crispy, crunchy new level.

Begin preparing this at least a day ahead.

An old-fashioned layer cake topped with a lusciously sticky icing.

This is a wonderful combination of cookie and candy, with the crumbly crust serving as counterpoint to the chewy caramel topping. For a nice presentation, place the cookies in paper candy cups, and set the cups in a basket; wrap clear cellophane around the basket, tie it up with raffia and decorate it with pine cones. Save the irregularly shaped leftover cookies to enjoy as a snack.

A version of the southern classic; this one has a fudgy texture.

A big finish for a big celebration dinner.

"Whenever we're in the area, my husband and I stop at the Thompson House Eatery in Jackson, New Hampshire," says Sandra L. Michaud of Newtown, Connecticut. "I'm crazy about the freshly baked lemon bread that sometimes comes with meals there." This sweet quick bread would make a nice breakfast treat, too.

A buttery free-form crust joins forces with a lucious fruit filling to make the perfect seasonal dessert. Just add vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.

"Whether it's served warm or cool, my mother's apple cake is the best I’ve ever tasted," says Amanda Denton of Barre, Vermont. "It's moist on the inside and has a beautifully browned crust. This recipe ranks right up there with love and support as the great things my mother gave me."

Peter Reinhart, a baking instructor at the California Culinary Academy, says, "Ever since I was a kid, the cranberry relish has been just about my favorite part of the holiday dinner. I love how its juices run in every direction to blend with everything on the plate. Of course, it has to be good cranberry relish, with coarsely chopped berries and walnuts and plenty of orange flavor. The cranberry-walnut braid captures those flavors, and the shape makes a beautiful presentation, too.

Cool and creamy, this custard combined with fresh berries makes a perfect dessert for a warm June day.

Found throughout the Middle East, this shortbread-style cookie remains white after baking. Some people make diamond-shaped or round cookies with this dough, but the ring shapes are more common.

Any holiday-motif cookie cutter can be used to make these. If you don't have small cookie cutters (about one inch in diameter) to cut out the centers, use the wide end of a small pastry-bag tip instead. The cookies look striking in a glass canister dressed up with a bright red ribbon.