We’ve heard it said that a balanced diet consists of a cookie in each hand. If you agree, you probably already have pans to bake up a batch on December 4 to celebrate National Cookie Day. Local bakers share a favorite recipe with TABLE readers so that you can try something new!

The first National Cookie Day was declared by Sesame Street in 1976…no doubt the result of some serious advocacy from the Cookie Monster. Because many of our fellow humans are serious cookie monsters, this celebrations of one of life’s finest and simplest pleasures has grown into a national phenomenon. Derived fromthe Dutch word koekje, these crispy little treats have been around in one form or another at least since the 600s when the first documented batch appears in Persia. They reached Europe with the Moors of Spain, and spread across the continent, delighting snackers on streetcorners as well as royal palaces.

The jam filled, buttery soft Linzer cookie has been a favorite of cookie-lovers for centuries. This traditionally Austrian treat is not only a popular addition to the Christmas cookie tray, it’s a recipe enjoyed year round, especially in this version from Casey Renee at Confections Pgh.

LINZER TART COOKIE RECIPE

Yields 12 cookies

Ingredients

3 sticks of butter (12 oz)

3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups almond flour

1tsp salt

Jam

Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1cup of sugar until pale. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla.

2. Mix 2 cups of sugar with the almond flour and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the dried ingredients. Mix until well combined. The dough will be sticky.

3. Roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4” thickness. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

4. Lift parchment, turn over and lift other parchment to release the dough.

5. Punch with a round or fluted cookie cutter (these will spread). I used a 2 inch diameter cutter. Punch a hole in the middle of half.

6. Chill dough for at least an hour.

7. Bake tops and bottoms separately at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until edges begin to brown.

8. Once cooled, dust the ones with holes in the middle with powdered sugar using a sifter, these are your tops.

9. Place a dollop of jam in the middle of the bottom cookies, about half a teaspoon depending on the size of the cookie.

10. Place your powdered sugared tops onto the bottom cookie.

11. Let chill over night.

RECIPE BY CONFECTIONS BY CASEY RENEE / STYLING BY ANNA CALABRESE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE

Try some of TABLE’s other cookie recipes:

Orange Cranberry Swirl Cookies

7 Spice Oatmeal & Golden Raisin Cookies

Italian Love Knots

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Jen Urich, owner of Farmer X Baker and Root and Heart Farm, shares a delicious blueberry bar with TABLE readers. This recipe is versatile, in that you may replace any fruit of your choosing for the blueberries, and, for those who eat a plant based diet, switch out the butter for a vegan plant based substitute.

BLUEBERRY BARS RECIPE

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan plant based butter, room temperature, and more for pan

1 cup sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or we use GF flour (Bobs Red Mill)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

For the filling:

1 pound blueberry or fruit of choice (3 cups), pitted

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment.

2. Beat butter with sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low, add flour and salt, and beat until dough forms clumps but does not completely hold together. Press 2 1/2 cups flour mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan.

3. Filling: In a medium bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt. Pour into crust. Crumble remaining flour mixture (about 1/2 cup) evenly over top, squeezing to create clumps.

RECIPE BY JENNIFER URICH / STYLING BY ANNA CALABRESE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE

Try some of TABLE’s other cookie recipes:

Italian Love Knots

Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rugelach

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Tasty Bakery’s Beverly Tominello offers up her recipe for classic, crowd pleasing Peanut Butter Cookies. You may well have a favorite recipe, but hers is worth trying for its perfect crumbliness and sumptuous peanut flavor.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

156 g all-purpose flour

5 g baking soda

6 g salt

125 g creamy peanut butter

114 g unsalted butter, softened

150 g packed brown sugar

50 g granulated sugar

1 large egg

4 g vanilla extract

Granulated sugar for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper.

1. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter, and both sugars. Once light and fluffy, add in the egg and vanilla.

3. On low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until dough forms. Do not overmix.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (or roughly 1 heaping tablespoon) and place rounded balls of dough onto a cookie sheet, leaving about 1 inch in between each ball for spreading. Sprinkle the top of each ball of dough with a small amount of sugar.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once removed from the oven, let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Recipe by Beverly Tominello / Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce

Try these other delicious cookie recipes:

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