Make Ahead

If you wish to make these with store-bought puff pastry, increase the sugar to one cup. Thaw and unfold the dough on the sugared work surface, then trim each piece into a ten-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Proceed with the recipe, sprinkling and rolling as directed. (Standard packages contain about one pound of dough, so the yield will be slightly greater than for our homemade version.)

The traditional Italian flavors of almond and anise are delicate enough for teatime yet equally good with strong coffee or espresso.

These red-and-green-flecked cookies are particularly festive at Christmas; Martha likes to bake several batches to give away as gifts.

The combination of cocoa and ground cinnamon is commonly found in Mexican chocolate and hot drinks; we’ve used it here to flavor a traditional Scottish cookie.

Be sure to sprinkle the shortbread with granulated sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven; this will help the sugar adhere to the cookie.

These are best the same day they are baked, when they’re still nice and crisp,especially around the edges. After that, they will be softer but still delicious.

These bars provide the perfect contrast of crisp and gooey. For a chocolate variation, omit the jam and evenly scatter fourteen ounces of finely chopped semisweet chocolate over the cooled crust before proceeding.

Classic lemon bars get a couple of twists: wheat germ adds texture to the shortbread crust, and lime juice and zest flavor the filling.

Some people prefer their brownies cakey. We developed this recipe to satisfy our craving for a bar that was just the opposite: dense, fudgy, and full of deep chocolate flavor.

Hazelnuts impart an unmistakable flavor to these cookies, but feel free to substitute the same amount of almonds, pecans, or walnuts. You will need two sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters (three inches and two inches).

These shortbread sandwiches are laced with chopped pecans and toasted coconut and filled with buttery caramel. Be sure to let cookies cool completely before filling, or bake them a day in advance and fill the next day.

These cookies are best eaten after they have been refrigerated overnight. Allow them to sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before serving.

These lunchbox favorites are equally delicious when sandwiched with jam—use any flavor you like.

You can refrigerate the filling, covered, for up to one day; let it soften at room temperature before using.

You can transform the flavor of this filling into chocolate-mint or mocha by substituting 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1/2 teaspoon pure coffee extract for the vanilla.

You can bake the cookies and make the filling a day ahead.

These crisp cookies can be sandwiched with Vanilla or Chocolate Cream Filling, freshly whipped cream, or your favorite ice cream.