Linzer Cookies - one of the Christmas Classics

Linz is the third-largest city in Austria. Its population is about 191 000 people. Its cookies are known and prepared worldwide and million of people enjoy them all year long, but especially during Christmas time. They are tasty, with dough including lots of ground nuts - hazelnuts or almonds. But they are also beautiful - they are assembled from two pieces, one of which has a cutout center and you  can see the raspberry jam through the hole. This recipe is from here  and it makes about 20-25 double cookies.

Membrillo - The Spanish Quince Paste

Membrillo is one of the perfect matches to Manchego cheese. This golden-yellow jelly, prepared from quince and sugar is so dense, that it should be cut with a knife. 

The best chocolate cookies - rich and chewy

This recipe is for devoted chocolate lovers - you feel the taste of chocolate in your mouth minutes after you have swallowed the last bite. It is not for people who prefer sweet desserts and the mild taste of milk chocolate - cookies get slightly bitter. The main reason I do them again and again is because the chocolate inside them is soft and remains melted even the day after they are prepared. Recipe is from here and it is for 8 cookies. The original has chocolate chips as an ingredient, but I prefer to make these cookies with chopped chocolate because chocolate chips tend to keep their shape while baking and I want to obtain a more homogenous velvety texture. These cookies are perfect for making ice cream sandwiches.

If you prefer crunchy cookies with emphasis on the butter as a taste, I can recommend you the Crunchy buttery cookies.