A Wonderland of Flour and Sugar

What’s cooking? Best Cookies from the Goddess

Who are we kidding? It’s actually all of the cookies from the Kitchen Goddess, because I couldn’t decide which not to include. A little like choosing which of your children you like best. Although I do recall that when our younger son would grouse about not being able to do something his brother could do, my usual response was, “Because we love him more.” It was character-building.

I’ve been baking cookies at Christmastime as far back as my second apartment in NYC. In the first, I had two roommates  – in a one-bedroom apartment! – for much of that time, and it was hard to ask their indulgence to take over the place with flour and sugar. Also, we lived above a grocery store and had way more roaches than we deserved.

My second apartment was third-floor walk-up studio – tiny, but all mine. The kitchen was... small, with a half-size fridge and an almost full-size oven. The room could hold two people if they kept their arms to their sides. The best thing about it was that it had a window – only about 4 inches wide, and it didn’t open – which in my mind, qualified it as a luxurious separate room. If you know Manhattan apartments, you understand.

And in that tiny space, with my “dining table” as a flat surface, I made dozens of cookies for the holidays.

Marriage introduced me to my mother-in-law, who introduced me to rolling out cookies using wax paper, and life was never the same after that. This holiday season, because I can’t cook a Christmas dinner for my East Coast relatives, I’ll be making – and shipping – some 272 cookies. And then I’ll shoot myself. But in the meantime, I’ll be having fun.

So here are links to the Kitchen Goddess’s cookie recipes. I had hoped to add a new one, but I have all these cookies to decorate...

These Molasses Cookies are great on their own, and spectacular as ice cream sandwiches.

If you like a cookie that’s got a savory note, try this Rosemary Shortbread Cookie with Tomato Jam. No tomato jam? Any sweet or savory jam will do.

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My friend Barbara introduced me to these Chocolate Star Cookies with Pistachio Stardust, and they are perfect for the holiday season.

If you like a sweet/salty mix, these Caramel and Potato Chip Cookies are divine. And fun to make.

For your gluten-free friends – or anyone who likes a meringue-type cookie, Greek Almond Cookies are very good and fast. You make the dough in the food processor!

I do love a chocolate-and-coffee combo. Chocolate Espresso Italian Wedding Cookies are a classic, and very pretty. Served here with Lemon Panna Cotta.

Another savory-ish cookie is this Lemon-Basil Butter Cookie -- simple, and simply delicious. Shown here in a terrific combination with Plumcot Sorbet.

Finally, my faves, though I highly recommend not going overboard, as I am doing. First up are Painted Rollout Cookies, which are great fun with little kids who aren't really old enough to keep from spraying your kitchen with sprinkles. Then my Best Rollout Cookies with Powdered Sugar Icing, which are just fun for anyone to decorate, and make a great gift.

Painting cookies is serious work for a 3-year-old.

Happy baking, everyone!