Cookie

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.

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.

In 1897, the Sears catalog offered its customers a treat called brownies. No one seems to remember whether they were bar cookies or a chocolate confection named after a popular cartoon character. No matter; by the 1900s the brownie as we now know it had arrived. The recipe for these dense, moist brownies is from Heather Ho, pastry chef at Boulevard in San Francisco.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Wheatmeal crackers (sometimes called digestive biscuits) have a flavor similar to graham crackers. For this particular recipe, we prefer Carr's brand wheatmeal crackers, which are available at supermarkets and labeled as "whole wheat crackers." (Don't use Carr's Wheatolos, which are a bit too sweet.) Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 9 3/4 hr (includes chilling)

Antoinette Muto of Los Angeles, California, writes: "My business partner and I own a company that makes costumes for the film industry. When we are involved in a huge project — as we were with Minority Report and X2 — we work very long days, and sometimes even on weekends. So I don't have much time to cook or even to go out for lunch or dinner. That's when my no-fiddling cooking style comes in handy. I cut corners when I can — without sacrificing flavor." A food processor makes mixing the dough for these rich cookies a breeze.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 hr

Faye Gardner, Haleyville, Ala.
"I perfected a sister-in-law's cookie and have been baking them every Christmas since 1969."

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of cookies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—the cookies must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Each filling makes enough for one batch of cookies. Whichever filling you choose, be sure to prepare it a day ahead.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Charmaine Haravey of Niwot, Colorado, writes: "I love spending my days in the mountains. It's one of the reasons that I moved to Boulder County. But since I started my new job, I don't have as much time to hike, ski, or enjoy my other favorite activity — cooking. Spending time in the kitchen has now become a luxury. Instead of making a complete meal in the evening, I prepare "single-girl food" — namely cookies, grilled sandwiches, and egg dishes. But I don't use that expression negatively. I never miss an opportunity to share a batch of cookies with my friends."

Susan Richardson of Edina, Minnesota, writes: "My mother worked full-time when I was growing up, so as the oldest daughter in a family of six children, I did a lot of cooking. From the time I was seven years old, my mom taught me how to cook and bake — salad, bread, vegetables, and dessert were pretty much part of every dinner. Even today, I make it a point to prepare and eat dinner with my two teenage children. Though we're very busy, we'll never abandon our dinner ritual. It's the time when we can talk and reconnect."

To recall the miracle of Hanukkah, dishes fried in oil are prepared during the holiday festivities. The mother of our executive editor used to dazzle her family with these cookies-each one slightly different from the next.