Bar Cookie

You would never guess that this rich, moist and delicious cake is lighter than its high-fat counterpart.

Grissini, long, thin breadsticks, are found at Italian markets and some supermarkets.

An updated version of Scottish shortbread.

An inspired cherry-chocolate dessert.

With apologies to mom, I've adapted this recipe just slightly.

These bar cookies feature two layers of decadence — chocolate chip cookie and brownie. Additional butter and egg in this cookie dough give the bars a chewier texture.

Biscotti Quadrati al Miele e alle Noci Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Judith W. Harris of San Mateo, California, writes: "I recently made these chocolate almond bars for a tea. They were all consumed with requests for more." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

These brownies can be fudgy or cakey depending on how long you bake them.

Dark brown sugar gives these buttery treats an extra-rich taste.

These sweet treats can be made two days in advance. Just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Because these brownies are thinner than most, they bake quickly.

Begin making this one day before serving.

"Here in Seattle, there's a place called 60th Street Desserts that makes fabulous lemon shortbread bars; the cookies are both sweet and tart," says Lucille van der Hagen of Seattle, WA. "Could you ask Joan Williams, the owner, for the recipe?" A crumb topping makes a nice addition to the classic bar cookie. Prepare the filling while the crust is baking; if the crust cools before the lemon filling is poured over it, the filling might seep beneath the crust.