Cookie

These dream bars have made the rounds. My mother's friend Phyllis Grossman passed the recipe to my mother when I was growing up. My mother passed the recipe to me, and I have since passed it along to friends. We all make it. I have baked versions with milk chocolate and hot fudge, but the best filling by far is bittersweet chocolate. I melt the chocolate, spread it on a sheet pan and chill it, break it into shards, and press it into the dough. Then I spread a brown sugar meringue on top. I warn you—as I warn every new employee at Hot Chocolate—proceed with caution. You have to either never eat these or succumb to the fact that you will be addicted forever to Dream Bars.

That's a whole lotta citrus in this here recipe. If you want to make a citrus cookie that tastes like you climbed up a tree and plucked a cookie off the branch, that's what it takes.

Brownies can go two ways—fudgy or cakey—and these rich, decadent squares decidedly fall into the fudgy category.

The ribbon of brown butter plays a raw cookie dough role in the center of these pecan blondies.

Rolling out the dough between sheets of parchment paper means it won't stick to your pin or tear.

For a high-contrast swirl, go easy when folding in the nut butter. A stroke or two with the spatula is enough.