Thanksgiving Cookies

Dough studded with dried cranberries and a drizzle of sweet, cinnamon-spiced glaze take oatmeal cookies from ordinary to perfect.

Cinnamon-sugar dusted snickerdoodles are always one of the most-requested holiday cookies. Get the recipe for Todd’s Snickerdoodles »

Honey makes a great substitute for brown sugar. A deep, spicy honey like sourwood works best, though you can experiment with different single varietal honeys for extra flavor. Get the recipe for Honey Chocolate-Chip Cookies »

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.

These traditional crumbly cookies from the Basilicata region of Italy are flavored with Strega, an Italian herbal liqueur. Alternatively, use Galliano, which can be found in most liquor stores. See the recipe for Strazzate »

Wafer thin with a perfect crunch, gingersnaps are delicious alone or alongside fresh apples or pears. See the recipe for Gingersnaps »

Light and crisp oatmeal cookies make a pleasant alternative to heavier treats. Dip them in melted chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt for a decadent, lacy crunch.

Unlike your typical sandwich cookie, these tasty treats are filled with a creamy walnut filling.

These cookies are delicate and crumbly with a light dusting of spicy, sweet cinnamon sugar. It’s worth seeking out fresh lard, often carried by butcher shops; it’s more flavorful than the supermarket variety. Get the recipe for Anise Seed Cookies (Bizcochitos) »

Pecan Squares

This thin, chewy, gently spiced cookie is perfect for dunking into milk.

Kamut, a strain of wheat that is one of a growing number of alternative grains, makes these cookies extra tender and crumbly. Baker Chad Robertson of Tartine notes to be sure to score the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven; they will be too fragile to cut once cooled. Get the recipe for Shortbread Cookies »

An adaptation of Basque Christmas cookies, these crumbly harinados are made with ground up pistachios and a blend of gluten-free flours.

Traeger’s Bakery in Demopolis, Alabama first popularized these soft spice cookies, which are named for their hard cinnamon glaze that glistens like a glossy turtle shell.

Use this nutty, lightly spiced dough with your favorite leaf-shaped cookie cutters for perfect Thanksgiving cookies. See the Recipe