In this article:
Marcel's Million-Dollar Cookies
Marcel's Shortbread Cookies
Lora's Almond Biscotti
Lora's Ginger Cookies
Lora's Mom's Rugelach
Marcel's Favorite Chocolate Chunk Fudge Cookies
White Chocolate Stars
Plus:
Even more fast and festive recipes

Top cooks' top cookies

WHEN IT COMES to cookies, Lora Brody and Marcel Desaulniers know their stuff: Brody has 22 cookbooks to her name, including Basic Baking (William Morrow, $25). And Desaulniers runs the award-winning Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Va., where happy victims line up for his "Death by Chocolate" desserts. His latest book is Death by Chocolate Cakes (William Morrow, $35). Today, they share great cookies for the holidays -- or any day.

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Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 68 minutes (to complete four baking cycles)

White chocolate flecked with semisweet chocolate chunks -- these are as rich and dense as the bullion in Fort Knox.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate, melted
3 cups chopped pecans, toasted (toast on baking sheet 10 minutes at 350 degrees; cool before using)
1 pound semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt onto wax paper. Set aside until needed. Place the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium speed for 6 minutes until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to beat on medium 4 minutes longer, until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium for 1 minute and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add the melted white chocolate; beat on medium for 1 minute, until incorporated.

Gradually, using low speed, add the sifted ingredients, followed by the pecans and chocolate; mix for 1 minute until incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough. Using 2 heaping Tbs. of dough for each cookie (about 2 ounces), portion 6 cookies onto each of 2 non-stick baking sheets. Bake on the top and center racks for 15-17 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center about halfway through the baking time (also turn each sheet 180 degrees).

Let cookies cool on baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Per cookie: 276 calories, 3g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 17g fat (8g saturated), 117mg sodium.

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Marcel's Citrus Shortbread Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 32-36 minutes

This cookie originally was developed to use as a crumb crust for a lemon-blueberry cheesecake at the Trellis.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsps. each: minced lemon zest and minced orange zest (the zest is the colored part of the peel)
2 tsps. orange-flavored liqueur
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high for 3 minutes, until the butter is light but not fluffy. Add the zests and orange liqueur. Beat on high for 30 seconds. Gradually, using low speed, add the flour and salt; mix for 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough.

Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and roll on a flat surface to form a cylinder of dough 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for 90 minutes. Remove plastic wrap from one roll and cut dough into 12 slices 1/2-inch thick. Evenly space 6 slices on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat on another baking sheet. Bake on the top and center racks for 16-18 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center halfway through the baking time (also turn each sheet 180 degrees), until lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Per cookie: 126 calories, 1g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 7g fat (4g saturated), 49mg sodium.

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Lora's Almond Biscotti

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Lora's Ginger Cookies, Almond Biscotti and nut-and fruit-filled Rugelach

Store-bought biscotti can be pricey, but they're easy to make at home. Add nuts or leave them out, use chocolate chips, or substitute vanilla for the almond extract.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsps. pure almond extract
1 1/3 cups (5 ounces) slivered blanched almonds, toasted (toast on baking sheet 10 minutes at 350 degrees; cool before using)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Line a baking sheet with a silicone pan liner, parchment paper or aluminum foil (if using foil, grease foil with 1 Tb. butter or solid vegetable shortening).

Set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside. Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and, with mixer on high, beat until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and almond extract, and beat until the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. The dough will be quite thick. Add the nuts (you may need to knead them in with your fingers). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your fingers and divide the dough in half. Transfer one portion of the dough to one long side of the prepared baking sheet and mold it into a smooth log 14 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide and 3/4 inch high. Repeat the process with the second piece of dough, and place it 2 inches away from the first log. Bake for 30 minutes, until light golden brown and slightly puffed. Remove pan from the oven, but do not turn off the oven.

Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the logs in 3/4-inch slices on a slight diagonal. Take care not to tear the parchment or silicone pan liner. Arrange the slices, standing upright, on the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer, until the cut surfaces of the cookies have browned slightly and the biscotti are dry to the touch. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool completely.

VARIATION: Melt 8 ounces chopped, best-quality bittersweet chocolate with 6 Tbs. unsalted butter in a microwave or small metal bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. Scrape the chocolate onto a shallow plate and dip one long flat side of each cookie in the chocolate so it comes halfway up the sides. Place each dipped cookie on a wire rack, uncoated side down. Let the chocolate set.

Makes 3 dozen biscotti.
Per cookie: 105 calories, 12g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 5g fat (0.6g saturated), 2g protein, 50mg sodium.

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Lora's Ginger Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 24 minutes (to bake two batches)

Next time you wander into Starbucks for one of those $2.50 mega ginger cookies with crackled tops, remind yourself you can make the same cookie right in your own kitchen.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup regular unsulphured molasses (blackstrap is too strong for this cookie)
Granulated sugar (for coating cookie dough before baking)
Non-stick vegetable spray (optional, for coating the scoop)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pan liners or aluminum foil (if using foil, grease foil with 1 Tb. butter or solid vegetable shortening). Set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium speed, beat in the egg and molasses, then increase the speed to high and beat about 1 minute longer, until the mixture no longer looks curdled. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula several times while mixing.

Mix in the flour mixture on low speed. The batter will be rather stiff. Place some granulated sugar on a small plate or saucer. Use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to form 1/4-cup portions of dough. (Spray the cup or scoop with the optional non-stick vegetable spray to make it easier to release the dough.) Transfer the dough to your hands and roll each portion into a rough ball, then roll each ball into the sugar. Place six sugared balls on each baking sheet, spacing them evenly, because they will spread during baking. Dampen your fingers with water and press down lightly on each cookie to flatten it a little and dampen the top. Refrigerate one filled baking sheet while the other bakes. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and are firm to the touch. Rotate the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Note: This dough can be frozen for slice-and-bake cookies. Just roll into a log 2 1/2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Can be stored in the freezer up to 6 months.

Makes 1 dozen large cookies.
Per cookie: 290 calories, 3g protein, 42g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 12g fat (7g saturated), 275mg sodium.

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Lora's Mom's Rugelach

Cream cheese dough is typically soft and difficult to work with if you don't work fast and/or keep chilling it if it starts to soften. So make these on a cool day.

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (NOT the whipped or reduced fat varieties)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
Glaze:
1 16-ounce jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon

Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. With the mixer on high speed, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla, and mix until they are just combined. Move the beaters around the bowl and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until a soft dough is formed.

With a spatula, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, flour your hands and divide dough into four parts. Dust each portion lightly with flour, and flatten each into a disk 1 inch thick and 4 inches across. Place each disk in a gallon-size plastic storage bag. If the dough is very soft at this point, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes.

When you are ready to roll out the dough, remove a bag from the refrigerator, open it and dust both surfaces of dough lightly with flour. Return the dough to the bag, reseal it and starting from the center, roll the dough out evenly with a rolling pin into a circle 9 inches in diameter. Return the bag to the refrigerator, and repeat the process with the three remaining bags, refrigerating them as they are rolled.

Prepare the filling by combining the sugars, cinnamon, raisins and nuts with a fork or whisk in a medium bowl. Heat the preserves in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquified. Set aside.

Line three baking sheets with silicone pan liners, parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Take the first package of dough out of the refrigerator, place it on a work surface and unseal it. Cut down the sides and along the bottom of the bag with scissors. With the dough still resting on the bottom part of the bag, use a sharp knife to cut the circle into 12 equal wedges. Make sure you have cut all the way through the dough. With a small pastry brush, coat the top surface of each wedge with a thin layer of the melted preserves., then sprinkle with a generous amount of the filling mixture. Cover the entire surface with the filling, and press it firmly into the dough. Staring at the wide end, roll up the dough and bend the ends in slightly to form a crescent. Place the rugelach 1 1/2 inches apart of a baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk, then sprinkle with a little of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat the cutting and filling process with the three remaining portions of dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the rugelach one sheet at a time and refrigerate the rest until ready to bake. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Carefully slide the liner material off the baking sheet, with the rugelach in place. Transfer the liner to a wire rack and let the rugelach cool for 15 minutes, then transfer them from the liner to the rack to finish cooling. Continue baking, as directed. You will need to bake the rugelach in three batches.

The rugelach can be stored in a covered tin at room temperature up to 1 week. To freeze, spread cooled rugelach on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 3 hours, then store in a plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the bag at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 dozen rugelach
Nutrition per cookie: 162 calories, 22g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 8g fat (3g saturated), 1g fiber, 69mg sodium.

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Marcel's Favorite Chocolate Chunk Fudge Cookies

I don't think I need to wax at length about the extraordinary chocolate dosage provided by these fudgy wonders.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 pound light brown sugar
12 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted
1 pound semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a sifter combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Sift onto a large piece of wax paper and set aside until needed.

Place the light brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on high for 30 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed for l minute and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat on medium for 30 seconds. Add the melted chocolate and mix on low for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients until incorporated, about l minute. Add the chocolate pieces and mix on low for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough and chips until thoroughly combined.

Using 2 level tablespoons of dough for each cookie (about 3 ounces), portion 6 cookies, evenly spaced, onto each of 2 non-stick baking sheets. Place the baking sheets on the top and center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 22 minutes, rotating the cookies from top to center about halfway through the baking time (at this time also turn each sheet 180 degrees). Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool at room temperature on the baking sheets for l 5 to 20 minutes. Repeat the portioning and baking procedure with the remaining dough until all of the cookies have been baked.

Store the cooled cookies in a tightly sealed plastic container up to 4 days or freeze in a tightly sealed plastic container.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Nutrition per cookie: 203 calories, 27g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 11g fat (6g saturated), 1g fiber, 76mg sodium.

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White Chocolate Stars

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
6 ounces melted white chocolate (see note) 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
48 individual chocolate chips (about 2 Tbs.)

Note: To melt the white chocolate, heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. With the heat on, place the white chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the melted chocolate to a 1-quart bowl and set aside until needed. The white chocolate may also be melted in a glass bowl in a microwave oven set at medium power for 2 minutes. After removing the white chocolate from the microwave oven, use a whisk to stir until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 7-quart bowl, cream the butter with a stiff rubber spatula (or your favorite wooden spoon) until very smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly until incorporated after each addition. Add the melted white chocolate and the vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour, mixing the dough until thoroughly combined. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a large star tip. Pipe 24 evenly spaced scant tablespoon size stars (approximately l/2 ounce per star) onto each of 2 nonstick baking sheets . Place a chocolate chip in the center of each cookie, pressing very gently into place. Place the baking sheets on the top and center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center about halfway through the baking time (at this time also turn each sheet 180 degrees), until very lightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the stars to a cooling rack. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Store the cooled cookies in a tightly sealed plastic container until ready to serve.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies
Nutrition per cookie: 78 calories, 6g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 5g fat (3g saturated), 0g fiber, 7mg sodium.

Photos by: BRIAN LEATART for USA WEEKEND