Christmas Cookies

It was Christmas Cookie time, but I wasn't sure what to make, as the possibilities are seemingly endless. I narrowed it down to only recipes whose ingredients I already had on hand. Then, since I planned on giving the cookies away, I wanted a variety, or contrast at least. So it came down to this: one chocolatey/fruity and one nutty: Raspberry Brownies and Cottage Cheese Rugelach with Walnuts.

I'll start off with the Rugelach. Yes, it's a Jewish cookie, and I'm making them for Christmas, but so what? I'm an equal opportunity cookie baker/eater, and when I see a good recipe, I go for it. Also, what with them being rolled and shaped and so on, you'd think they would be complicated. But they're not. SUPER EASY. Seriously. Few ingredients, and the shaping process is a million times simpler than the pretty results would lead you to believe. My only alteration: the recipe calls for margarine, but I used butter. Not sure why it called for margarine, maybe it's some sort of kosher rule or something. But they're sweet, flaky, tender, and delicious. You can find the recipe for Cottage Cheese Rugelach with Walnuts on Epicurious.

Now for the Raspberry brownies. It's a dirty little secret. These are seriously the best brownies you will ever eat. I'm not joking. Everyone who has one says so. They're moist, fudgy, with a fruity tang. I got the recipe from my friend Alex, who is known for making complicated, elaborate desserts from scratch. Are you ready yet?

It's brownie mix with frozen raspberries thrown in. For real. But for whatever reason, the raspberries (or any other berry you have on hand, for that matter) make mediocre, ordinary brownie mix into a revelatory experience. You think I'm exaggerating? Try them, and you'll know I'm not.

So here are the instructions for Raspberry Brownies:

• Prepare brownie mix according to instructions on the box (I used Duncan Hines and followed the "Fudgy Style Instructions" (that's opposed to "Cake-Like Instructions").
• Pour half of it into the tray.
• Sprinkle a decent amount of berries over.
• Top with remainder of brownie mix.
• Bake according to box instructions.
• Bowl people over with the best brownies of their lives.