These lovely confections — which happen to be my father’s favorite Christmas cookie — go by many names: thumbprint cookies, Swedish tea cakes, and bird’s nest cookies, to name a few. But whatever moniker you give them, you will surely call them delicious.

When I think Christmas cookies, I think ginger crackles.

Oh, of course there are shortbread, sugar and gingerbread (wo)men cookies, too. Not to mention Swedish tea cakes… but ginger crackles are one of a few cookies that I only make during the holiday season. There’s something about their chewy, gingery bite, their crackled top and sugary sparkle, and the warmly fragrant aroma that fills the house when ginger crackles are in the oven — it just feels like the holidays.

Crisps are pretty easy, as desserts go, but blueberry crisp takes simplicity to a new level. With no peeling, coring or slicing required, this cozy and irresistibly delicious dessert is a cinch to make any time of year (thanks to frozen blueberries). In fact, you could whip up this dessert half-way through dinner and serve it steaming hot from the oven, just in time for guests to dig into it for last course.

This pie crust recipe can be used for both sweet and savory pies, with a little sugar added to the pastry for sweet or dessert pies or tarts — this adds a little extra flavor and helps the crust brown. Keep at least a couple batches on hand in the freezer for the inevitable pie emergency.

Who knew one pie pumpkin from our Tap Root Farms CSA food box would stretch so far? Two batches of pumpkin scones, pumpkin pancakes, and now pumpkin pie, and I still have a cup of pumpkin purée left.