Cookies are adaptable.

My usual M.O. is to make small cookies–you know, so you can take two and call me in the morning without too much guilt. But a houseful of teenagers may dictate saucer-sized cookies. You love oatmeal cookies but the thought of raisins makes you feel like you rode the Thunderbolt one too many times? Dried cranberries to the rescue; or chopped dates, or snipped apricots… You get the idea.

One of my favorite adaptable recipes is for snickerdoodles, those spicy, slightly old-fashioned, crunchy-along-the-rim-but-soft-in-the-middle treats that feel like a hug from your grandmother. My mother’s version when I was growing up included not just cinnamon, but a touch of ground clove, so obviously, they’re my favorite. But there are lots of other versions out there that I would be a fool to forego.

One such: Chai Snickerdoodles. I know, right? All the warm spice of a chai tea but in cookie form. Perfect for a blustery November afternoon.

CHAI SNICKERDOODLES RECIPE

(yield: 24)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamomand allspice. Measure out a 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and set aside.

3. With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and remaining spiced sugar until smooth and whipped, about 3 minutes.Beat in eggs and vanilla.

4. Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper; using the paper as a funnel, gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture and combine well without overmixing. Sifting is importanthere, as you really want the cream of tartar and baking soda to be evenly distributed amongst the dry ingredients before you beat them into the butter.

5. Using a #40 cookie scoop, portion dough into small balls and roll them in the reserved sugar mixture. Place 2 in. apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown and set, but center remains soft. To ensure crunchy edges, cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Store, covered, at room temperature.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

What makes these little gems so adaptable is the spice mixture. If you haven’t already overdosed on all things Pumpkin Spice by now, try subbing 1.5 tablespoons of your favorite PS mixture for the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice above.(I recommend making your own PS: 1 part cloves, 2 parts ginger, 2 parts nutmeg, 4 parts cinnamon).

Or how about this: skip the cinnamon, cardamom and allspice but add a heaping teaspoon of cracked black pepper, and you’re on your way to gingerbread or pfeffernusse. Or if you’re a purist, bump up to all cinnamon (although I’m telling you, a ¼ teaspoon of clove makes a world of difference…) .

Recipe and story by Doug Florey, aka Dr. Cookie/ Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce

Try these Doctor Cookie recipes as well.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Coconut Macaroons

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

Cookies are timeless.

Like Labor Day barbeques, lemonade, and illegal backyard fireworks. Like fireflies in Mason jars.

Like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Or better yet, peanut butter eaten off the back of a spoon, while standing alone in a dark kitchen at 1 am. You know you’ve been there; we all have.

Peanut butter is timeless because it satisfies that troika of tastes: sweet, salty, and unctuously rich. Whether you prefer yours with strawberry jam, marshmallow fluff, or bacon and bananas, there is something about peanut butter that transcends time and returns us all to childhood.

You remember: sunny, hot September Sundays followed by long, gentle twilights, when your biggest concern was catching more lightning bugs than stuck-up Cousin Marigold, visiting from Connecticut.

Maybe cookies aren’t actually timeless–maybe they’re time machines.

PEANUT BUTTER SANDIES RECIPE

(yield: approximately 18)

Adapted from the New York Times

INGREDIENTS

1 stick butter, room temperature

¾ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 cup peanut butter–creamy or chunky, totally your call

1 egg

1 cup All-Purpose flour

Additional salt and sugar for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and whipped, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the peanut butter and egg; mix until well incorporated. Add the flour and salt and stir just until combined.

4. Using a #40 cookie scoop, portion dough onto prepared pans. The cookie will be rough on the top, which is what you want. Since they don’t spread, and we aren’t using the tried-and-true fork crosshatching, the dough balls can be fairly close together on the cookie sheet. Just be sure to leave enough room between them to allow the air to circulate, so that they bake evenly.

5. In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of sanding sugar (although regular white sugar works fine, too) with a teaspoon of coarse kosher salt. Using a pinch at a time, sprinkle this mixture over the top of each cookie. Don’t skip this step. Seriously.

6.Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until cookies are set and golden-brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes then carefully move them to racks to cool completely. Serve and store at room temperature.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

By now, you know what I’m about to prescribe: chocolate. As always, use your favorite (in our house, that means a 4 oz bar of special dark) chopped into small shards and mixed by hand into the dough before scooping. Of course, you could always bake them unadulterated by chocolate, then dip the craggy tops into melted chocolate once the cookies have cooled. Or drizzle them with melted chocolate. Listen, it’s peanut butter and chocolate: you can’t go wrong.

Recipe and story by Doug Florey, aka Dr. Cookie/ Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce

Try these Doctor Cookie recipes as well.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Coconut Macaroons

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

One of our favorite Spanish words is Botana, which simply means snack. Other favorites include queso fundido, which means, you guessed it, “melted cheese” commonly referred to as queso. This recipe for traditional queso fundido, our favorite game-day botana, features rajas or strips of poblano peppers with a few added serving suggestions. Recipe variations are endless from here: chorizo, mushrooms, spring onions, crispy chili, kimchi…have at it!

QUESO FUNDIDO WITH RAJAS

Ingredients:
4 poblano chiles
1 lb. Asadero or Oaxacan Cheese, shredded
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small White Onion, minced
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 dozen corn tortillas
A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serving Suggestions

Chicharron (pork rinds) smashed
Avocado slices
Salsa

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees

• Over an open flame of a BBQ grill or gas stove cook and blister the poblano peppers until soft. This can also be done in a cast iron skillet over high heat with a little oil.

• Cut the onion in half and prepare in a similar fashion over an open flame or cast iron skillet until soft.

• Peel the poblano pepper when cooled and cut it into strips.

• Saute the peppers, onion, and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cool.

• Blend the cheese and vegetables in a bowl and transfer to an oven-proof dish

• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Add the remaining vegetable halfway through the baking time.

• Remove from oven, top with chicharron or avocado and serve immediately with warm tortillas and salsa.

Story and Recipe by Gabe Gomez

TABLE Magazine takes comfort food seriously. Well, the truth is that we take all food seriously, but it’s especially true when we can take ingredients past their prime and transform them into something delicious. Our riff on the classic Pain Perdu or French Toast comes with a little boozy kiss of both comfort and joy, and it’s not even the holiday season!

PAIN PERDU

Ingredients
4 eggs
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup half heavy cream
3/4 ounces aged bourbon
Day-old bread loaf, challah, or french bread
Unsalted butter
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
2 ripe bananas
Maple Syrup
Powdered Sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, bourbon, and salt.
  Slice the bread into thick slices.

• Pour the egg mixture into a large baking pan and soak a few slices of bread for 4 minutes, turning once.

• Heat saute pan over medium heat. Add butter. Take each slice of bread and place it in the saute pan. Cook for three minutes on each side until browned.

• Add butter into the pan as needed and continue to cook the remaining slices.

• Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and a touch of syrup. Serve hot with blueberries and bananas.

Story and Recipe by Gabe Gomez