101 Cookie Recipes

There is something about the crisp fall air that year after year pulls us into the kitchen with nothing on our mind but baking trays and trays of cookies. Luckily, all of this delightfully tasty work won't go to waste as you bag and box the array of cookies for holiday gifts or to shore up your cookie coffers and jars.

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What makes cookies so irresistible? Everyone has an opinion on what the finished product should be — crispy, crumbly, or chewy — which is why we couldn't settle on just one recipe to test. After digging through our collection of more than 300 cookie recipes, reaching out to our Culinary Content Network for their favorite recipes, and tapping into the minds of our favorite expert bakers (pastry chef Zac Young, baker Amy Scherber, cookbook author Paula Shoyer, chef Nathan Lyon, and more) for their picks, we rounded up our most comprehensive list yet.

Before you ready your ovens, mitts, and baking sheets to try every recipe from simple sugar cookies to truffle-stuffed gooey delights, check out our expert tips from none other than the cronut and cookie shot inventor himself, pastry chef Dominique Ansel, that will ensure your cookies turn out golden and tender every time.

[pullquote:left]Ansel says one of the most common mistakes when baking is overestimating baking times. He explains, "For chocolate cookies, make sure not to over-bake them. Because they're darker in color, people tend to over bake them because it's a bit harder to tell when they're ready. Bake them a little less than you think!" 

In addition to not overbaking, remember never rush, Ansel says, "Always rest your cookie dough in the fridge overnight, especially when baking powder is called for in the recipe. Chilling and resting the dough in the fridge overnight helps to activate the yeast, and you get a cookie with a better texture and flavor."

Finally, if you ever wonder why your cookies turn out flat, instead of thick and chewy like the recipe picture shows, Ansel says it's all about oven temperature. "A lot of times, when you see the cookie dough spreading as it bakes in the oven, they're actually melting instead of baking. A convection oven with a high fan is always best for even consistency," explains chef Ansel.

This holiday season, as you search for edible gift and cookie platter ideas, peruse The Daily Meal's round up of 101 cookie recipes, including everything from the classic to the quirky, that is sure to satisfy your cookie needs.

Angela Carlos is the Cook Editor at The Daily Meal. Are we missing one of your favorites? Find our Cook Editor on Twitter and tweet @angelaccarlos or @thedailymeal with your favorite cookie recipes.