Bon Appétit

These easy-to-assemble bar cookies free you to use whatever crunchy things you love. Can't get enough of those candy canes? Love pistachios and almonds? Crush 'em up and sprinkle 'em on.

Think of this dinner party- friendly dessert as the love child of a financier (a springy nut-flour cake) and an apple cobbler. For a twist, you can also make it with pears or a combination of both.

Lightly spiced little cookies are the perfect canvas for your holiday decorations. To keep the dough logs from flattening on one side, set them in empty paper-towel rolls before freezing.

The trick to making these cookies is to go low and slow—both on the stove-top and in the oven—to prevent the egg whites from scrambling.

The best—and easiest—brownies you'll ever make. This recipe belongs in your repertoire.

Wild mushrooms add depth of flavor to this take on the French classic. Make sure your bacon isn't too smoky; it could overwhelm the dish.

This recipe works best with medium to large oysters. Have your fishmonger shuck them for you.

Vinegar is the key ingredient in the tart, refreshing beverages known as shrubs.

Roast these sweet, tangy carrots—a perfect foil for the deliciously fatty rib roast—while the beef rests.

We're big fans of Nutella, but this luxurious homemade gianduja tastes even better.

These buttery, heart-shaped French cookies are great for dunking into hot cocoa—or serving with coffee.

Roasting the carrots intensifies their sweetness.

Holiday spiced nuts meet the candied street-cart variety. Send any extra home as gifts for your guests.

Dorie Greenspan uses ring molds to shape and bake these trademark treats for her company, Beurre & Sel. We press the dough into muffin tins for easy baking.

This cocktail is a fruitier, spritzy, almost punchlike take on the usual Old Fashioned.

Want super-crisp chicken without having to add much fat? Start with a room-temperature pan: As the skillet becomes hot, the chicken skin will gradually render its fat, becoming browned and crackling.

Star-shaped cookies will certainly put you in the holiday spirit, but feel free to use any cookie cutters you have in the drawer.

Slather on sandwiches, and serve alongside ham or sausages.

This recipe comes from the mother of a September 11 victim; it was a favorite of her son, a chef for Cantor Fitzgerald, and will no doubt be a favorite of yours. When originally submitting it to Bon Appétit, Patrice Bedrosian encouraged readers “to enjoy this delicious and comforting Irish bread, to smile, and to remember the love between a mother and son.”

Homemade tomato beurre blanc gives this dish a sophisticated French feel. But it’s easy enough to make for a casual family meal; serve it with rice or a crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce.