Name: Almond Brown-Sugar Cookies
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 6 hr
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 stick unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds (2 1/2 ounces)

Almond Brown-Sugar CookiesRomulo Yanes

With their simple, homespun charm, these icebox cookies are just the nibble you'll want to have on hand as you do your Christmas gift wrapping. The thinner you can slice the dough, the crisper the cookies will be, so we freeze the dough for a bit (after chilling it in the fridge) before slicing. Plus, it will be much easier to cut through the almonds and get nice, neat rounds.

Cooks notes:

•Dough can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced).
•Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Heavenly Halva Cake

Serve a thick slice for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Kung Pao Cabbage With Tofu

Reliable cabbage is cooked in the punchy sauce and then combined with store-bought baked tofu and roasted cashews for a salad that can also be eaten with rice.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.