Sprinkle Cookies
"These are my five-year-old's favorite cookie. She says that they taste like cupcakes."

Rolled Gingerbread Cookies
"These cookies are mildly spiced for kids. If you like your gingerbread men a little hotter, use 1 tablespoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger instead of 2 teaspoons. The dough can be cut into gingerbread people, of course, and decorated with raisins, red hots, and chocolate chips before being baked. Or cut the dough into any shape and decorate the cookies with icing."

Stained-Glass Butter Cookies
"Melted bits of hard candy in the center of these cookies look like stained glass. For the prettiest cookies, use a fluted cutter. Red and green hard candies are traditional, but I also like the way butterscotch looks and tastes with the buttery cookie. A sprinkling of sugar gives the cookies a sparkly holiday look."

Chocolate-Currant Rugelach
"Freezing the rugelach before baking ensures that the rich, flaky dough holds its shape. It also makes this recipe super-convenient. Make the cookies whenever you have time, and bake them just in time for the holidays."

Rustic Apple Tart with Rich Cream Cheese Crust
"I've come to rely on this recipe not only because it is super simple but because everyone loves it. The cream cheese dough is not rolled but simply pressed into a rough round. The apples don't have to be precooked. The combination of tart apples and rich, tangy dough is irresistible."

Rich Cream Cheese Tart Dough
"The richest and most delicious pastry dough I know. An added bonus -- it's also the easiest."