Feeling out of sorts these days? Know someone who could use a hug? Time for the ultimate comfort food: Trail Mix Cookies. They’re crispy on the edges, chewy on the inside and full of nuts and dried cranberries. They have a buttery, brown-sugar flavor that feels like a bear hug from your favorite person. My dad is that person for me. Who is your best hugger?

These Easter Egg Cookies may look all blinged-out but underneath the over-the-top embellishments lies a familiar classic: ye old chocolate chip cookie. There’s no rule that says only cutout sugar cookies can be decorated for Easter. Enter the humble, but well-loved, chocolate chip cookie — shaped like an Easter egg, covered with chocolate or royal icing and decorated to the hilt.

My daughter-in-law makes beautiful challah, the traditional braided bread so popular at Jewish celebrations. That made me curious about what kinds of foods might be associated with Passover, which begins on April 8TH this year. Being a cookie baker, I naturally gravitated toward the sweet end of the spectrum. When I discovered Matzo Crack, I had to give it a try. All I can say is “a-MAZ-ing!” Think of it as a combination candy and bar cookie, leaning more toward the candy side.