When it comes to cookies, the chocolate chip cookie is a fail-safe, rising to world-wide adoration after being invented, many stories say, in the 1930s. But there's an endless variety of other excellent cookies, too!
Here are some of our favourite cookie recipes, from choc chip options to treasured family recipes and indulgent cookie twists that would be at home on a dessert plate. (And fittingly, since the word cookie itself comes from the Dutch koekje (little cake), we even have cookie cupcakes and a chocolate chip cookie layer cake to add to the cookie love!)
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
If you like your chocolate chip cookie with a little softness and chew, look no further! The secret to success of these five-ingredient choc-chip cookies is a can of condensed milk, which enhances their chewiness.
This versatile cookie can be as simple or fancy as you like. The base recipe is great for other add-ins like white chocolate cranberry, M&M’s, glace ginger and dark chocolate. The cookie dough balls can be frozen so you can have cookies ready in about 20 minutes if you have unexpected visitors for morning tea.
Melbourne baker Natalie Paull describes this recipe, shared on The Cook Up, as ridiculously huge and ridiculously delicious! And good news for those who like to plan ahead: The raw dough keeps frozen for up to 3 months, or 2 weeks in the fridge. Future you will thank past you for getting onto this one.
SUPER STUFFED COOKIES
The peanut butter cookie dough these are made with is just part of what makes these cookies from Spencer Watts so good. When you bite into these, the texture is creamy, but with little pops of crunch from the cereal in the peanut butter stuffing. And they're finished off with a sweet-tart raspberry glaze.
Silvia Colloca shares a recipe for these Italian treasures, made from fresh pastry dough then filled with a mixture of jam, dark chocolate and nuts.
These blackberry and white chocolate-chip cookies from Some of My Best Friends Are Cookies author Emelia Jackson are stuffed with a little lemony cheesecake action.
If you're looking for a sugar cookie recipe, this may be just for you. Inspired by the flavours of an American favourite, the cinnamon scroll, these cookies are stuffed with a brown sugar, cinnamon and butter filling, along with squares of cream cheese.
CELEBRATION COOKIES
Polvorones come in many flavours, from plain, pecan and peanut to vanilla and cinnamon; Pati Jinich's recipe uses pecans. The name polvorón seems to come from the word polvo, which translates to dust or powder. Maybe because these cookies break into the finest of crumbs the moment they touch your mouth, she explains.
The name means "little bracelets" and for many Italians, particularly Sicilians, it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without these semicircular fig-filled delights.
America's Anna Olson shares this recipe for hree styles of festive jam-filled cookies, all from one basic cookie dough recipe.
COLOUR ALL THE WAY
Wondering how to make sugar cookies? This recipe is as easy to make as it is good to look at – and taste. They make for great gifts too!
Light up a party with this vibrant cookie on a stick recipe from The Scran Line's Nick Makrides.
These 'gift box' cookies (each is about 10cm across), named after those little heart-shaped lollies stamped with words, will last about a week at room temperature so they can be made in advance.
"These ube crinkles are a Filipino take on the popular crinkle cookie. I’ve replaced the traditional cocoa powder with ube halaya and extract for a nutty vanilla-like flavour and stunning purple hue," says Catherine Zhang of her vibrant recipe.
BAR COOKIES
What Australia calls a slice, Americans and Canadians often call bar cookies, and some are indeed just like cookies – in rectangular form! Take these kitchen sink cookie bars from Mary Berg. You can make these deliciously chewy bars with whatever mix-ins you have hanging around: choc chips, leftover chocolate bars, salty-sweet pretzel twists, mixed nuts or even leftover brownies and biscuits.
GIANT COOKIES
Part cookie, part cake – behold the skillet cookie. This giant choc-chip cookie is cooked in a cast-iron frying pan to give it a warm and gooey centre with a crisp shell.
"Crisp on top and gooey in the middle, there is nothing nicer than freshly baked cookies. Easier than making individual cookies, these giant ones can be cut into wedges to serve," says Louise Kenney. You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate it, then bake the cookies to order.
THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES
An easy gluten-free thumbprint biscuit, with jam added after baking. The recipe uses homemade chia jam, but you could use any jam you like.
What beats a chocolate cookie? A triple chocolate cookie, of course! Get messy with the chocolate drizzle for an impressive, decadent bake with this recipe from Helen Tzouganatos.
ICED COOKIES
These cookies are for those in the "I can't bake, but want to" camp. The cookie batter is a straightforward one bowl, beat-with-a-wooden-spoon mixture (no beaters!). And you don't need a cookie cutter (they're piped into O-shapes). And the best part: the messier you are, the cuter these cookies look.
Orange zest works wonderfully with honey, cinnamon and cloves in these soft-centred cookies, coated in chocolate and pistachio.
COOL CARAMEL COOKIES
"These are my 'dressed up' version of a cookie I learned to make in Mocorito, with crunchy sugar covering them and sticky caramel inside. My favourite cookie of all time!" says Pati Jinich. The biscuits are cut with scissors before baking to form the flower petals.
Bite-sized, nutty and incredibly more-ish these cookies from Anneka Manning bring together a heavenly flavour combination – caramel, peanuts and oats.
NUTTY AND NICE
These cookies by Adam Liaw are fantastic as they are, but are also absolutely brilliant as ice-cream sandwiches, or simply chopped up and folded through vanilla ice cream.
Classic, simple Italian almond-meal biscuits with a touch of zesty limoncello.
TREASURED FAMILY RECIPES
These molasses cookies have been passed down from generation to generation in David Hallberg’s family. The molasses adds a rich, slightly smoky essence to the cookies and with the warming spices is very similar in flavour profile to gingerbread.
"This recipe for traditional Assyrian cookies honours my mother Helen. These recipes are passed down through the generations and I hope that my daughters will continue that tradition," Evan Yako said when sharing this recipe, which makes several different kinds of cookies, with date, walnut or mixed fillings.
COOKIE MEETS CAKE
These are two-in-one delicious, with a rich chocolate cupcake stuffed with cookie dough and topped with indulgent buttercream – and with a cookie on top!
They might look like colourful macarons, but these red velvet cookies are more kin to the ruby-hued cake of the same name. Filled with a salty-sweet cream cheese mixture, these dainty treats make ideal gifts, be it Christmas, Mother's Day or Valentines.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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