Noelle Carter is the former Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen director. She left in January 2019.
Beer brittle
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Cherry-almond-coconut granola
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes about 6 cups
Snowflake pretzel rods
Time 30 minutes
Yields Makes about 45 pretzel rods
Chocolate bouchons
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 12 bouchons
Chocolate and pink peppercorn meringues
Time 50 minutes
Yields Makes about 3 dozen meringues
Cinnamon marshmallow stars
Time 40 minutes
Yields Makes about 100 (1 1/2 -inch) stars
Springerle
Time 2 hours
Yields Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies
Panforte with candied quince
Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Yields Makes 32 half-inch slices
Marzipan stollen
Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Yields Serves 16 to 20 (8 to 10 per loaf)
Apricot biscotti
Time Active work time: 25 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields Makes 32 biscotti
Brown sugar shortbread
Time 50 minutes
Yields Makes 4 dozen bars or 2 dozen wedge cookies
Vegan almond sable cookies with cacao nibs
Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies
Fig bars
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes 40 (1-inch) cookies
Panettone
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields Serves 12 to 16 (6 to 8 per panettone)
Chocolate Pecan Turtles
Time 40 minutes
Yields Makes 40 turtles
Chewy Ginger-Sour Cherry Biscotti
Time 55 minutes
Yields Makes 24 biscotti
Hazelnut Biscotti
Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Yields Makes 32 biscotti.
Prunes in Armagnac
Time 30 minutes
Yields Makes 8 cups soaked prunes
Almond biscotti
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies
Caramel corn
Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Yields Makes a generous 12 cups
Holiday spelt biscotti
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields Makes 2 to 2 1/3 dozen biscotti
Gluten-free granola bars
Time 55 minutes
Yields Makes 16 to 24 bars
Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes about 3 dozen brownies
Gingerbread Heart Houses
Time 1 hour
Yields Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size
Baklava rouláda cookies
Time 2 hours
Yields Makes about 4 dozen cookies
