These cookie recipes cover what I bake from fall straight through New Year's: crisp pizzelle, twice-baked biscotti, chewy drop cookies, bars and the no-bake treats that fill out a holiday cookie tray.
I'm a classically trained chef, so each recipe tells you why a step matters, not just what to do. That's the difference between cookies that spread flat and cookies that hold their shape.
My Grandma's Recipe
Anise Pizzelle
New to pizzelle? Start there. They're the cookies readers find most often on this site, and all you need beyond the pantry is a pizzelle iron.
Pizzelle, Biscotti and Italian-Style Cookies
These are the crisp cookies: pizzelle pressed in an iron, and biscotti baked twice so they hold up to a dunk in coffee. Crisp cookies also keep longer than soft ones, so you can bake them ahead of the holiday rush.
Chocolate Chip and Drop Cookies
Scoop, bake, cool on the rack. These drop cookies are chewy in the middle with crisp edges, starting with my copycat of the warm cookie the DoubleTree hands you at check-in.
Holiday Classic
Hershey Kiss Cookies
The Christmas cookie with the chocolate kiss pressed on top.
Fall and Halloween Cookies
Pumpkin, warm spice and a little whimsy. The acorn cookies and butterscotch haystacks never see the oven, which makes them a good project to hand to kids.
Cookie Bars
When you don't feel like scooping four dozen cookies, press the dough into a pan. Let bars cool completely before you cut them; warm bars crumble and the edges tear.
Find your next sweet treat
or browse by category
Can I make these recipes ahead and freeze them?
Yes, most of them. Freeze baked drop cookies and bars in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature. Crisp cookies like pizzelle and biscotti don't need the freezer; an airtight tin keeps them for about 2 weeks. [Sarah: check these storage times against each recipe card.]
How do I keep pizzelle and biscotti crisp?
Cool them completely in a single layer on a wire rack before you store them. Any trapped steam softens them. If they do go soft, a few minutes in a 300F oven crisps them back up; let them cool again before storing. [Sarah: confirm the 300F re-crisp matches your testing.]
Why did my cookies spread flat?
Usually the butter was too warm. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, use a cool baking sheet for every batch, and check that your baking soda isn't old. Measuring flour by weight also keeps the dough from coming out too wet.
Is it safe to eat raw cookie dough from these recipes?
No. Raw flour and raw eggs can both carry bacteria, so bake the dough before you eat it. The no-bake treats in this collection are made to be eaten without baking and don't use raw eggs or raw flour.
