Merlyn Cafaro, Recipe Tester

Fresh crab necessitates only Old Bay and very little in way of other ingredients. That’s exactly what you’ll find here.

The hardest part about making these delightful Swedish pastries is choosing which combination of butter filling and sweet glaze you want.

Whether you prefer to dip, dunk, scoop, or smother, one thing is for certain. This is the dip you want to do it with.

There’s no need for takeout when you can make this deep dish skillet pizza that’s laden with blistered tomatoes, pepperoni, and mozzarella.

This simple chicken stew, which is chock-full of vegetables, chicken, and served in a light cream sauce, feels decadent but is surprisingly virtuous.

An indulgent pasta made with toasted walnuts, cream, mascarpone, and gorgonzola. Worthy of a special occasion but on the table in just 25 minutes. Boom.

This hearty meal gets its flavor from an overnight soak in red wine, a slow braise until tender, and the addition of plenty of mushrooms and bacon.

No need to wait all year for your favorite cookies to come around. These sandwich cookies beat anything from a box. Sorry, Girl Scouts.

The holidays incarnate. That’s what these cookies are to us. They’re magnificently and traditionally spiced and are crinkly and chewy. All in the best possible sort of way.

A more exotic take on the traditional thumbprint, the addition of fig jam takes these beauties to an even better place. Sweet, warm, and gorgeous.