40 traditional cookie recipes

Haselnussmakronen, traditional German hazelnut macaroons: a cocoa meringue folded with crushed hazelnuts and lemon zest, baked low into chewy, flourless cookies. A naturally gluten-free holiday treat.

Melomakarona are classic Greek Christmas cookies, olive oil dough spiced with orange zest and cognac, soaked in honey-cinnamon syrup, then sprinkled with toasted almonds. Holiday tradition perfected.

Traditional Tuscan cavallucci spice cookies built from a hot sugar syrup kneaded with walnuts, candied orange peel, and warm spices like clove, anise, and cinnamon. Chewy, perfumed, and unmistakably medieval.

Traditional Swiss Basel Leckerli: honey-spice cookie bars with cinnamon, cloves, candied peels, kirsch, and almonds under a crackly sugar glaze. Makes 50 to 60 bars that keep for weeks.

Old-fashioned currant jelly uses just two ingredients: fresh currants and sugar. Traditional cook-and-strain method without commercial pectin. Bright tart-sweet jelly for toast, lamb, or thumbprint cookies.

Traditional German almond cookies shaped into hearts, with a tender flourless crumb made from ground almonds, egg yolks, and lemon extract, topped with a bright lemon icing. Naturally gluten-free and irresistible.

Ossi di Morti (Bones of the Dead) Italian cookies flavored with cinnamon and clove oil, baked hard and meant to be dunked in coffee or tea. A traditional Italian All Souls Day treat.

Grandma's strawberry freezer jam with mashed berries, sugar, and pectin. A no-cook style jam with bright fresh-fruit flavor that traditional cooked jams can't match.