Brownie

Executive editor Barbara Fairchild has a reputation as the staff chocoholic, so it's no surprise that her kitchen gift for the holidays is a big batch of brownies. A tried-and-true recipe from her mother, these treats are rich and very moist.

An inspired cherry-chocolate dessert.

With apologies to mom, I've adapted this recipe just slightly.

These brownies can be fudgy or cakey depending on how long you bake them.

Because these brownies are thinner than most, they bake quickly.

Although they are baked, these intensely chocolaty bar cookies resemble fudge more than brownies. To retain the creamy texture, keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to a week. If the bars are refrigerated, their texture will become more dense.

Unlike the topping on German chocolate cake, which is soft and gooey, the coconut-pecan crust on this cake-like brownie is baked, making it crisp.

A chewy brownie with an intense coffee flavor.

These irresistible treats are filled with dried apricots, figs and cherries as well as dates and walnuts, and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate lovers will be in heaven when they taste these ultra-moist treats. The marbled topping works on most bar cookies.

Christina has been making these super-easy brownies since she was a teenager.

The lusciously sticky caramel-pecan top layer in this brownie was inspired by the chewy chocolate candies called "turtles."

"When I lived in South Africa, rum and raisin chocolate bars were a special treat," says Beth Peterson of Phoenix, Arizona. "I created this brownie recipe based on that combination of flavors, and perfected it with the help of friends and colleagues who sampled the brownies at each stage of development. These have a grown-up taste with the right balance of sweetness and rum." Try these warm with vanilla ice cream.