These soft tender cookies are nice with tea. Subtle hints of pumpkin and spice make them a perfect treat for fall.

Courtesy of Susie Norris, author of Chocolate Bliss

Susie says, This is my favorite fudge cake. It is light, but also buttery, chocolaty, soft, and moist. Its texture is strong enough to hold up to butter cream, which can drag a lesser cake down. This cake works well with Sweet Bittersweet Ganache (recipe below.)   

Makes 2 (8-inch) cake layers

This is killer, no way around it.  And it’s worth every bite!  I don’t like corn syrup so I use honey or agave as a substitute.  It works just fine.  If you do use corn syrup, you may want to add a little more sugar to the recipe as agave is sweeter than sugar.

Served warm, topped with ice-cream after dinner or for breakfast on a crisp fall day, Caramel Apple Bars are a comforting treat any way you slice them. Perfect for an autumn picnic, these are like a bite of fresh apple pie, conveniently packaged as a cookie bar. If you like caramel and apples, you’ll be sure to love these Caramel Apple Bars.

I always associate gingerbread as just right for a cozy evening at home when it’s chilly outside. Of course it’s terrific any time of the year, and if you’re a ginger lover, this is an especially good recipe as it has both powdered and crystalized ginger as well as complementary spices that enhance the flavor. It’s also quite moist as it contains applesauce and has a delicate lemon-vanilla glaze.  Gingerbread served warm from the oven with whipped cream is hard to beat, but it’s also good lightly toasted with butter or cream cheese on a leisurely weekend morning.

Courtesy of Lauren Groveman

Courtesy of Lauren Groveman

Courtesy of Candice Masters of Gourmet Country

What’s not to like about freshly baked cookies!  Some cookies lose their edge fairly quickly, and are best devoured within a day or two.

Anything based on shortbread, however, ages very nicely.  I learned this at an early age as my great aunt, Oolie MacGugan (yep, that was her real name), made traditional Scottish shortbread, which was cut in simple rectangular bars and aged for a couple of weeks before it was served.

Courtesy of Stephany Zonis

My mother made a variation of this baked pancake for Sunday morning breakfasts. There really isn’t much to it, but it somehow manages to rise dramatically as it bakes. I have improved the original recipe by adding a little sugar and lemon zest–and, of course, vanilla!

Courtesy of Didi Davis: www.dididavisfoods.com

The provocative aroma of the vanilla envelops the cranberries in this tart-sweet combination. You may serve the tart with a dollop of whipped cream flavored with vanilla and confectioner’s sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the pastry, if you do not have cake flour in your cupboard, use one cup of all-purpose flour instead. For the filling, if you cannot find fresh cranberries, use one bag (12 ounces) of frozen berries straight from the freezer. In fact, buy several bags of cranberries when in season and freeze them for use throughout the winter months.

Courtesy of Didi Davis: www.dididavisfood.com

These cookies are a combination of the French style macaroon, made with ground almonds, and the American style macaroon, made with coconut. I’ve changed the nut to pecans, which are a dreamy combination with vanilla and coconut. The flavors grow in your mouth and linger pleasingly for a long time.

Courtesy of Annaliese Keller: www.malabartradingco.com

This recipe recently won first place in a baking contest. It’s a favorite of mine for brunch or to serve with tea in the afternoon with friends.

 Courtesy of Flo Braker

Here’s a fun recipe from Flo’s book, Baking for All Occasions.  It makes a great hostess
gift as do many of her delectable recipes.

Flo says:  Baking the silky, intense chocolate topping on crunchy (firm) shortbread makes for neatly cut brownies that will lend panache to any dessert time. 

Courtesy of Lois Laidlaw

   This is a rich, traditional-style pudding.  It’s closer to a very moist cake in texture than what we think of as pudding.  With lemon sauce and whipped cream, it’s divine!

Courtesy of Chef Tony Nigro

Note: This is a multi-level project. It’s not difficult, but it is time-consuming. It’s also impressive and delicious. It comes with the additional recipe for lady-fingers. These delicate sponge-cake treats are useful for tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake and other specialties. Although Tony didn’t indicate his recipe should be made this way, you could line an 8- or 9-inch spring-form pan with the lady-finger batter, then, after batter is baked, fill the pan with the pumpkin mousse. This method is less time-consuming yet maintains the beautiful flavor palette of the recipe. Decorated, it will have a dramatic presentation as well.

Courtesy of Gina Tassone, Vanilla Contessa

Almost everyone has experienced the frustration of bananas that have gone from perfect to mush, seemingly overnight. Summer is especially cruel to the sweet and perishable fruit. The Queen’s right-hand woman, Gina, a.k.a. the Contessa, has thoughtfully shared with us a great recipe for utilizing those overripe bananas. You will undoubtedly want to use this recipe often, as it’s quite good.

Years ago I lived in a rural area on the California Coast. I was writing cookbooks and doing some consulting work but I also wanted to be doing something that involved community and made money. A cookie business came to mind.

 These cookies are hands down, the best cut-out cookies, whether they’re for the holidays or the 4th of July!  They’re especially interesting with Tahitian vanilla extract as the flavor carries through nicely. I personally prefer them with a light sprinkle of flavored sugar instead of being frosted.