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1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

1½ cups chopped dried apricots

1½ cups dried cherries

1½ cups sliced blanched almonds

1½ cups chopped pistachios

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugars, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until combined; beat in the vanilla.

3. Add the flour mixture; beat on low speed until combined. Add the coconut, apricots, cherries, almonds, and pistachios; beat until combined.

4. Drop the batter, 2 heaping tablespoons at a time, onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, and transfer cookies on the parchment-paper lining to a wire rack to cool completely.

cashew-caramel cookies

MAKES ABOUT 36

12/3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2½ cups roasted, salted cashews

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup packed light-brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

24 soft caramel candy cubes (7 ounces)

¼ cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process the remaining 1½ cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in the oil. Process until creamy, about 2 minutes.

2. Put the cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture. Mix in the reserved chopped cashews.

3. Shape the dough into 1½-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until the bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.

4. Melt the caramels with the cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle the caramel over the cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers.

cornmeal-thyme cookies

MAKES ABOUT 36

These herb-flecked cookies are at once sweet and savory, making them perfect in the afternoon, with a cup of Earl Grey tea. They can also be served after dinner as a light dessert.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

½ teaspoon salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

¾ cup dried currants

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in the currants and thyme.

3. Using a tablespoon or a 1½-inch ice-cream scoop, drop rounded balls of dough onto the lined sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating and switching the positions of the sheets about halfway through, until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies, on the parchment, to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

peanut butter–chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

MAKES ABOUT 72

This recipe calls for natural peanut butter, which has less sugar than regular and gives the cookies a richer peanut flavor.

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