It isn't hard to convince kids to join in the fun of making holiday cookies. After all, the reward is dozens and dozens of cookies, as well as a bonanza of icing, frosting or powdered sugar to decorate them. But not every cookie recipe is a good choice for children; some are too fussy, others combine flavors most kids won't appreciate. These 10 recipes use kid-friendly flavors, include interactive steps that are fun for little hands — chocolate-dipping! sugar-dusting! — and don't require any special techniques. More

Looking for fun and cheap gifts to stuff in a stocking? These 10 gifts all come in under $10, but they're useful, too, because who needs more junk? We have Christmas beans and fancy lemon extract. We have an extra-large ice cube tray and the best tool for peeling garlic. Read on for more: More

The girls at Liddabit Sweets know a lot about great candies. So when Splendid Table asked them to share their two easiest and quickest holiday candies, you better believe they had two great recipes to share. And these two candies require no heating or candy thermometers — truly fast and simple. Check them out! More

Want to make your gift of homemade cookies a little more special? Wrap them up on a pretty vintage plate specially chosen for the recipient, and make the plate part of the gift. And while they add a ton of class, small, charming plates like this don't cost much — just a couple dollars tops at a local thrift store. More

I realize that Christmas is still two weeks away but I really want to make cookies now. Of course I have a dozen cookie recipes from my family but I want to do something a little different this year. More

There is no resisting rugelach, no matter how nubbly or imperfectly rolled. They're buttery, flaky, and just the right amount of sweet. You can fill them with anything from ground nuts and honey to peanut butter and chocolate — the only real constant is using cream cheese to make a super-tender dough. Here's how you can make them at home. More

It's that time of the year: time to break out your best sprinkles, stock up on butter, and organize the cookie cutter bin. Time to prioritize your cookie recipes, negotiating between the traditional and new. And on that note, may we suggest a cookie that's caught our eye lately? Meet Christmas in a Cookie. More

Q: My parents have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I want to encourage them in their new healthy diet, but I still want to make them yummy homemade gifts. Any ideas for treats I can make them? I am open to low-glycemic desserts as well as savory options like crackers and dips.

Sent by Roxanne More

Like many great cookie recipes, this one was born by accident. One year while I was making gingerbread men, some careless dough-rolling birthed a man who baked up chubby, thick and cakey, not flat and crisp like his brothers. Surprisingly, this textural mutation of a gingerbread man turned out to be the best one of all. You can call it cookie evolution, the accident that led to the creation of these chewy, molasses-spiked cookies. With their warm, spiced flavor and cake-like softness punctuated by the coarse crunch of sparkly sugar, you might also call them a new holiday tradition. More

Attention, 'nog heads! If you live in the small cross section on the Venn diagram of "beer lovers" and "eggnog lovers," then boy oh boy, do I have the most perfect holiday brew for you. It's called Beer Nog and it's exactly what it sounds like: heaven. More