It's The Cookie Issue

 Cookies are a part of the Christmas tradition as the Christmas tree and presents. The question is which ones to make. Do you go with something different and fun or classic and comforting? Not to worry. the New York Times Food section has come out with an extensive array of good and delicious cookie recipes.

It was the highlight of today's weekly Food section. Many regular contributors have contributed , giving us some interesting recipes that will sure to be family favorites.There are six pages of great cookies, perfect for a holiday dessert table or any party . There are even savory ones, perfect for charcuterie boards and cocktails. One is a cheddar cheese coin from Kay Chun that is a baked blend of Cheddar, Parmesan, scallions and butter. Imagine this holding bruschetta or devilled ham.  Ali Slagle created a savory mixed nut shortbread rife with mixed salted nuts. There is some sweetness with sugar added but there is also rosemary and cayenne to give it kick. Eric Kim gives us a yummy version of the M&M cookie, perfect with warm milk on a snowy day.Melissa Clark explores butter spritz cookies made richer with the addition of almond extract and almond flour. Nicole Carpino Frasco withe the help of Margeaux Laskey reimagines her nonna's tricolore squares , those multicolor cake like gems that are robed in dark chocolate.Genevieve Ko makes a mean peanut butter cookie, enhanced with peanut butter chips. Jerrelle Guy's creates a homey , tastier version of iced oatmeal cookies zinged up with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.

Of course there are spins on classics. Melissa Clark reimagines melt in your mouth rugelach with a chocolate banka filling with a crumbly fudge. Those holiday classics thumbprint cookies get an redoing thanks to Yossy Arefi's addition of tahini to the cookie dough and filled with dulce de leche. Gingerbread get a rehaul with Sohla El-Waylly's recipe that gets zinged up with freshly ground pepper. It's also rich and buttery thanks to the addition of fourteen tablespoons of butter. Nina Donabian gives us Finnish gingerbread man coated with a crunchy raw sugar. Biscotti and swirl cookies also are here. Jerrelle Guy  creates her biscotti with a dark chocolate coating and a spicy blend of cardamon , cloves, nut meg and cinnamon. The swirl cookies have hibiscus and ginger as the main flavors in Yewande Kemolafe's version. Great pastry chef and baker Dorie Greenspan has a more candy like concoction that 's more candy. There are also fruity treats  such as Samantha Severinetne ;'s fig and cherry pies and Sohla El-Wally's fruity meltaways spiked with freeze dried berries. want pure chocolate instead? Then try Vaughn Vreeland's mint brownie cookies,

These are just some of the cookies from the Food section cookie issue.They are classic and reimagined. Try them and add them to your arsenal of holiday cookie recipes.

Gingerbread Housing

 The one food item that says holiday time is the gingerbread house. It''s warm and inviting looking, a classic treasure that's on every dessert table and under every tree. Yet times are changing and so is the gingerbread house.

You can still create an old fashioned gingerbread house complete with gumdrop wreath windows and snowy confectioner's sugar dusted roofs. You can easily find a number of scratch recipes on the internet. Gingerbread on its' own is a wonderful holiday treat. The recipe features the best of spices, the original recipe coming from Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis who later settled in Bondaroy in north central France. The recipe hasn't changed. much over the millennia .It's cinnamon , ginger nut meg and cloves mixed with molasses which gives it that lovely deep golden brown hue. Shortening ,sugar and eggs are added and then rolled out and cut according to templates. You can download these or draw your own.Get creative with the windows by cutting out circles or squares and then filling them in with crushed hard candies. They'll melt into pretty stained glass. As for decorations think everything from gum drops to unwrapped Hershey's kisses. You can also use Smarties, and candy canes too along with any kind of  Sour Patch strips.

Of course if you don't have the time or the effort to bake, then buy a kit. These have all the pieces already baked and the right amount of icing to glue them to gether along with the right amount of candy decorations, The good thing about these is that now they are varied. There is the gingerbread train and gingerbread treehouse ,both can be bought at Target, These are fun addition to any Christmas table. Five Below has even more. They have the Hershey's Chocolate Cookie House which looks easy to do and can be decorated any way you want. They also have the Oreo train, made from what else, Oreos icings and a variety of different candies. Five Below also has a very easy gingerbread reindeer and sleigh which has only four pieces for the sled and three for the reindeer. Candies also have their houses too. There are also Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers ones too. These are regular gingerbread houses decorated with the candies. it makes for something different and fun too. Most of the Five Below kits are usually priced at around five dollars. 

it is gingerbread season. Make your own or buy a kit. Just have fun creating this festive and tasty Christmas tradition.