These simple, buttery Soft Amish Sugar Cookies are exquisite. They have crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. They’re easy to make and so satisfying to eat. If you’re not careful, you’ll eat three or four before you know it. They are delicious enough to be eaten plain, but you can’t go wrong if you dress them up with sprinkles or dip them in chocolate. They even travel well and make a welcome addition to my holiday packages. Butter and sugar never came together in a more satisfying bite.

I’ve been in the mood for apple pie lately. But since making pies is rather daunting, I was wondering if all that great taste could somehow be put into a smaller package, like a cookie. John at Preppy Kitchen did just that and his step-by-step instructions with photos make it easy and fun. The result is a delicious pie-cookie hybrid, with a tart apple filling wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust full of cinnamon, allspice and ginger.

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday cookie-baking season for me. Ghosts and black cats, Jack-o’-lanterns and bug-eyed bats...all those spooky shapes need to be turned into sweet treats. I always prefer to tone down the “creepy” and pump up the deliciousness. So that’s what I did.