Venetian Cornmeal and Currant Cookies (Zaletti)
Zaletti are buttery, crisp Italian cornmeal cookies studded with raisins or currants. The dried fruit usually is first plumped in grappa, a fiery Italian brandy, but we opted instead to use orange liqueur for its more nuanced flavor. We then upped the citrus notes with grated orange zest. The cooled cookies will keep in an […]
Snickerdoodles
There’s nothing quite like the smell of cinnamon sugar wafting from the kitchen, except perhaps discovering its source: a warm tray of snickerdoodles. Their crinkled tops and pillowy thickness come from a blend of butter and coconut oil—a natural alternative to shortening. Historically, snickerdoodles were actually a type of coffee cake, which is why […]
Peanut Butter Miso Cookies
These sweet-salty, chewy-crunchy treats are our adaptation of the wildly popular peanut butter–miso cookies from Falco Bakery in Melbourne, Australia. Umami-rich white miso makes the cookies taste full and complex. Because misos can vary in sodium content, look for one with about 300 milligrams per 12 grams of miso. Turbinado sugar is a coarse sugar […]
Chocolate Biscotti with Pistachios, Almonds and Dried Cherries
The late Maida Heatter has about a dozen cookbooks to her name, all of them focused on baking sweets. These biscotti, our adaptation of a recipe from “Maida Heatter’s Best Dessert Book Ever,” are made with a combination of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. With a flavor boost from instant espresso powder, they’re dark and […]
Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips and Almonds
Because coconut macaroons are gluten-free and unleavened, they have been a long-standing staple in Jewish communities, especially during Passover. This version dresses up the classic coconut-based sweet treat with milk chocolate chips and slivered almonds. By using egg whites and sugar as the base of our macaroons, along with sweetened shredded coconut, we created […]
Triple-Oatmeal Cookies
These buttery brown sugar cookies may be loaded with crunchy pecans and tart cranberries, but they’re all about the oats: rolled for the heartiness of a granola bar, steel-cut for a toothsome chew, and flour for a tender crumb. Pick up a bag of oat flour online or in stores, usually in the baking […]
Baci di Dama (Italian Hazelnut Cookies)
These Lilliputian Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are utterly charming—but only if they're perfect. Our approach makes it easy to get them just right.These tiny Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are typically made from a very rich, fragile dough that easily softens and crumbles when you roll it. Reducing the amount of butter and nuts in the […]
Noche Buena Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
These Christmas Eve chocolate sandwich cookies are infused with the rich flavors of Dutch-processed cocoa, coffee liqueur, and dulce de leche.The secret to the distinct flavor of these Noche Buena Chocolate Sandwich Cookies is the dulce de leche filling. Sandwiching the rich dulce de leche between two cookies ensured the bold flavors of the […]
Almond Butter Cookies
A whole-wheat and almond butter version of the Chinese cookie classic. These treats are an ideal partner-in-cookie-crime to a cold glass of milk or a cup of afternoon tea.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican wedding cookies are as well traveled as Carmen Sandiego. In some circles, these little treats are known as "Russian tea cakes," while in other places, they masquerade as "Danish wedding cookies." Where I grew up, in Kentucky, they're called "snowballs," but down in Florida, they're "butterballs" instead. Food historians say this culinary enigma […]
Gingersnaps
We wanted to put the “snap” back in Gingersnap cookies. This meant creating a cookie that not only breaks cleanly in half and crunches satisfyingly with every bite but also has an assertive ginger flavor and heat. The key to texture was reducing the moisture in the final baked cookie. We achieved this by reducing […]
Chopped Chocolate Chip Cookies
A pinch of nutmeg and a sprinkling of salt amplify the butterscotchy flavor of chocolate chip cookies, while a blend of milk and dark chocolate chunks provide alternating bites of creamy sweetness and bitter intensity. You can bake the cookies until they’re golden brown and crunchy, but I prefer to pull them while they’re still […]
Coconut Macaroons
Soft and chewy on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside — these are the perfect coconut macaroons. They’re delicious plain but even more irresistible dipped in dark chocolate. They also keep well for days, making them the perfect treat to bake ahead or give away during the holidays.
Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies
These salty-sweet cookies are chewy and intense, with a double dose of flavor from the honey-roasted peanut flour–a thirty-second project that keeps them tender and rich. They're one of those rare cookies that improve with age, making them one of my favorite options for cookie jars and care packages alike.
Italian Anise Cookies
Cakey, with a little heft, Angelettis share similarities with a scone or a biscuit. A combination of shortening and butter gives the cookies both ethereal texture and rich flavor, while baking powder provides just enough lift. Lemon zest and juice ably complement the refreshing hit of anise, which fully permeates the cookies.
Salty Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies
This is a chocolate chip cookie. But not just any chocolate chip cookie. This one, which gets its speckled look, earthy, nutty flavor, and chewy middle from buckwheat flour, might just become your new favorite. You can substitute whole-wheat flour for the buckwheat flour and still get a great cookie, though it will (obviously) be […]