Bar Cookie

These pistachio- and almond-studded sweets are made with semolina and ghee. Eat the halva hot and soft out of the frying pan, or press it into a cake tin and cut it into squares.

What’s better than a brownie? A brownie with a layer of peanut butter cookie, that’s what.

The secret to the fudgiest, most chocolaty brownies is cocoa powder—not melted chocolate. We borrowed chocolate expert Alice Medrich’s technique, then added a cream cheese topping for tangy balance. 

We took millionaire bars—shortbread plus caramel plus chocolate—and gave them an upgrade (hence, billions) with sesame seeds and tahini. The shortbread is tender, the filling is gooey, and the chocolate ties it all together.

You’ll find these a fudgy, sweet and lightly fermented addition to your brownie repertoire.

Lebkuchen recipes are many and diverse—some are flourless, made with almond and hazelnut meal; some are made in bar form and others in cookie form; some are glazed with chocolate and others with a thin lemon glaze.

These are similar to classic shortbread, but with the warm, slightly nutty flavor of einkorn and rye. These little-used flours also make a great choice for baking due to their naturally lower gluten profile, which is exactly what you want in a sandy-style cookie for a tender crumb. 

Avocados add creamy, nutrient-dense richness, taking the place of butter in these baked sweets.

Here’s a citrus bar that’s just as beautiful as it is zingy. The twice-cooked curd method ensures that these bars are extra sturdy and have a smooth, shiny surface.

With a wheat-free coconut-date cookie crumb–like crust, a creamy coconut layer, and a rich chocolate topping, these bar cookies will remind you of your favorite candy but taste so much better.

These cookie bars are studded with the best parts of traditional fruitcake (orange zest and dried fruit) and spiced up with lots of fresh ginger.