Two-Bite Sweets

Bitter citrus rinds are transformed into a candy-sweet, chocolate-dipped confection.

Phyllo pastry layered with ground nuts luxuriating in sweet syrup is a centuries-old dessert that now exists in many variations throughout the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean.

Pure sugar syrup heated to the hard-crack stage becomes a hard, translucent candy. In this recipe, the addition of butter produces an opaque candy with a silkier but still crunchy texture.

This chocolate-coated, fondant-centered candy is best enjoyed with a mug of hot cocoa.

For these chewy, sweet bars, paraffin wax–a now mostly forgotten candy-making ingredient–is mixed with chocolate so that it will set properly when cooled and take on a shiny appearance.

This quick and easy recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to satisfy a crowd. See the recipe for White Chocolate Crispies »

This recipe is a version of one that Sue Raye, SAVEUR Kitchen Director Liz Pearson’s mother, clipped from a neighborhood newsletter in the 1980s.

These “Irish potatoes” are not what they would seem. This great recipe from Philadelphia’s Moonstruck Restaurant showcases the bite-size coconut cream balls rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa.

These chocolatey confections are what author Shane Mitchell calls “Southern truffles–boozy and bad to the bone.”

Dredging these melt-in-your-mouth cookies twice–first while still warm and again after they’ve cooled–insures a generous covering of powdery sugar.

Adding rolled oats that have first been ground in the food processor helps hold these chocolate balls together while giving them an earthy note. Get the recipe for Chocolate Truffles »

Chewy caramel topped with crushed peppermint candies is one of many versions of kola, a kind of semisoft toffee adored all over Sweden.

Almond-Cream Tartlets

Mini caramels flavored with almond, orange zest, and syrup make simple, delicious treats (and wonderful gifts).

Fluffy and sweet, vanilla bean marshmallows are a delicious (and necessary) addition to hot chocolate. See the recipe for Vanilla Bean Marshmallows »

When making these truffles, use supermarket-quality white chocolate, which has more stabilizers than expensive brands and sets up better.

Invertase, a liquid enzyme that’s found in small bottles at most candy-making supply stores, is used in these candies to liquefy the luscious fondant filling. Once you’ve made the cordials, it will take about ten days for the filling to liquefy. We based this recipe on one found in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). For more Valentine’s Day recipes, check out our guide. Get the recipe for Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cordials »

We based this recipe on one that appears in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). Get the recipe for Vanilla Cream Fudge »

Hazelnut liqueur adds an extra-sweet, nutty flavor to chopped hazelnuts, dried apricots, and semi-sweet chocolate.

We based this recipe on one that appears in Peter Greweling’s Chocolates and Confections (Wiley, 2010). Feel free to improvise with the coating, using other kinds of ground spices, nuts, or chili powder. Make sure to keep all your materials cold while you’re mixing and shaping the truffles, so that the candies keep their shape; if they get too warm, refrigerate ingredients for 5-10 minutes. Get the recipe for Cardamom-Laced Milk Chocolate Truffles »

These decadent candies taste best with a pinch of sea salt sprinkled on top.

These shortbreads get their spicy kick from ground cardamom and ginger.

Akin to Mexican wedding cookies and Greek kourabiedes, these Austrian vanilla crescents made with ground walnuts and showered in confectioners’ sugar are served throughout central Europe during the weeks leading up to Christmas. See the recipe for Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescents) »

Traditional French shortbread cookies taste best using a good salted butter with a high butterfat content, such as Kerrygold.

Michael Laiskonis, executive pastry chef at New York City’s Le Bernardin, gave us the recipe for these caramel candies. Be sure to wrap them individually in wax paper to store them. Get the recipe for Salted Caramels »

Perfumed with floral lavender, these fragile, crispy thin wafers are a delicate cookie to serve on their own or as a crisp contrast to creamy desserts like crème brulée, pudding, or pie. See the recipe for Lavender Tuiles »

Modeled after the classic Creamsicle, these orange meringue kisses sandwiched with buttery white chocolate are a lively and bright addition to the holiday cookie spread.

Little hazelnut meringues sandwiched with milk chocolate make light and elegant desserts.

Chewy, pleasantly salty caramels are flavored simply with coconut milk and sugar.

Sticky-sweet almond pastries drenched in a syrup of honey and orange flower water are typical of the rustic desserts of Tunisia. Get the recipe for Fried Almond Pastries (Samsa Feuille de Brick) »

The recipe for these Christmas cookies comes from the bakery Rischart in Munich. Their base is simple, leaving plenty of room for creative decorations.

Crunchy, salty, and rosemary-scented, pine nut brittle makes a great gift.

These classically simple chocolate truffles are enriched with egg yolks—Medrich’s special touch. Get the recipe for Alice Medrich’s House Truffles »

A combination of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and brown sugar turns pecans into a toasty, addictive snack that’s perfect for nibbling alongside apéritifs. Get the recipe for Candied Pecans »

Crumbly powdered sugar coated cookies made with chopped pecans are often served at Southern weddings. This recipe, from Georgia home cook Tweet Moore, first appeared in our November 2013 issue with Wendell Brock’s story Southern Belle.

A flavorful combination of cardamom, dried mulberries, tart cherries, almonds, pistachios, and coffee beans tops dark chocolate in a crunchy, gorgeously layered bark. Get the recipe for Nutty Chocolate Bark with Cardamom and Coffee »

The unexpected addition of mashed potatoes adds an exceptional creaminess to dark chocolate fudge in this recipe adapted from Patty Pinner’s cookbook Sweets. Get the recipe for Mashed Potato Fudge »

Amaretto, coffee, and crushed almond cookies flavor rich dark chocolate truffles. Get the recipe for Chocolate Amaretti Truffles »

These lightly spicy coconut cookies are somewhere between a classic American macaroon and a Mexican street snack. Get the recipe for Chile-Lime Macaroons »