Food Processor

Season: July to September. This is a wonderful way to use up an abundance of cucumbers, be they long and uniform green, or the short, knobbly-skinned type. It’s also very quick and easy to make if you use a food processor. This is not a true preserve, as the cucumbers are not brined and the pickle is very light, but it will keep well in the fridge for a couple of weeks in a sealed container. I love this sweet condiment with all manner of salads and in sandwiches, but it’s especially delectable with hot-smoked trout or salmon.

Season: October to December. I first made this deliciously sweet preserve while staying at a farm on Dartmoor. Melissa, who lived at the farm, came to help with the laborious job of peeling the chestnuts, and we whipped through them in no time. Adding honey to the jam seemed entirely appropriate, since that’s what Melissa means in Greek. I like to spoon chestnut jam into meringue nests and top with cream. Or stir a spoonful or two into chocolate mousse, or dollop it on vanilla ice cream before drizzling with hot chocolate sauce. This preserve also makes a lovely filling for chocolate cakes, and, of course, it can be enjoyed simply spread on crusty bread.

To toast the pecans, spread them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Take care not to overprocess the nuts in step 1; you want them to be finely ground, not paste-like. If desired, sift confectioners’ sugar over cookies just before serving.

To make our linzer sandwiches, we substituted pecans for more traditional almonds, and cherry jam for the classic raspberry filling. The crumbly cookies with heart-shaped windows make delectable gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Variations on the Mexican wedding cookie show up among the foods of other countries, including Greece and Russia. All are formed from butter and nut-rich dough; once baked the cookies are completely covered in confectioners’ sugar.

Fresh fruit and tangy soft cheeses make perfect partners for these salty-sweet wheatmeal cookies. Or, try using them in place of risen biscuits for strawberry shortcake: Top a biscuit with a dollop of sweetened ricotta cheese and some macerated berries.

This recipe combines a buttery Scottish tradition with the flavors of the Hawaiian Islands. If you don’t have a fluted square cutter, use whatever other shape you have on hand. To toast macadamias, place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350°F oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Here a free-form dough wheel is scored, baked, and cut into generous wedges. We love the combination of hazelnut and orange, but you can use this dough as a building block for other flavorful add-ins—such as ground almonds and lemon zest.

To decorate, drizzle melted white chocolate over each cookie with a spoon, or use a resealable plastic bag with a snipped corner.

Pastry-like in texture and appearance, these cookies pair the intense sweetness of dates with the delicate flavor of almonds. The filling is enhanced by fresh orange zest and juice, as well as orange-flower water; look for the latter in specialty foods shops and Middle Eastern markets.

Unlike many crumbly cookies, these biscotti are sturdy enough to mail. For a holiday gift, send a batch along with a pound of your favorite coffee beans.

These bars are more rustic than traditional dried fruit bars, since they are covered with a crumbly oat topping before baking. You can substitute chopped dried figs or dates for the raisins.

This chunky bar cookie recipe presents a perfect opportunity for improvisation, as you can use whatever flavors of jam and granola you have on hand.

For best results, use moist, plump dried figs.

Lebkuchen are traditional German Christmas cookies, spiced with the flavors of gingerbread, studded with candied citrus peel, and topped with a sweet sugar-and-milk glaze. To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in a 350°F oven for about ten minutes.

Salted cashews—both ground into a butter and chopped—give these cookies deep flavor. Soft caramel candies are melted and drizzled over the tops of the baked cookies for an easy embellishment.

For these sandwich cookies, tiny, delicate coconut wafers surround a creamy, sweet-tart, tropical-fruit filling. In a pinch, use prepared lemon curd instead of our homemade passion fruit version.

Combining beaten egg whites with a nut-and-sugar mix helps give these cookies their airy texture.

Three layers of cornmeal shortbread are separated by a chunky cherry-almond filling. Because the flavor of almond extract is so intense, only a tiny amount is needed to flavor the jam for all of the cookies.

The biscuits for these sandwich cookies are ultrathin, crisp, and downright chic. And since they’re not terribly sweet, they marry well with the milk chocolate filling. In a pinch, use store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spread—it’s also divine.