Bar Cookie

The lusciously sticky caramel-pecan top layer in this brownie was inspired by the chewy chocolate candies called "turtles."

"When I lived in South Africa, rum and raisin chocolate bars were a special treat," says Beth Peterson of Phoenix, Arizona. "I created this brownie recipe based on that combination of flavors, and perfected it with the help of friends and colleagues who sampled the brownies at each stage of development. These have a grown-up taste with the right balance of sweetness and rum." Try these warm with vanilla ice cream.

To get a neater slice, chill the bars first.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of brownies at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Fresh raspberries are baked into these chewy, downright irresistible blondies. You can chill them for a day before serving.

Chocolate-covered raisins turn into fudgy pockets of intense chocolate and chewy raisins in these easy brownies.

My children like to visit my Aunt Lisl's daughter-in-law, Dorothy, the way I used to visit Aunt Lisl. Dorothy doesn't make butter cookies, but she does make brownies which she serves at Hanukkah and every Friday night, a perfect ending to a meat meal. The children help make the brownies and then take a few extra home in aluminum foil. They love them—without the nuts.

The flavor and texture of these chewy confections are even better if they are allowed to rest overnight.