Dark, Fudgy Muscovado Brownies

             Toasted Coconut-Almond Meringue Bark

             Next-Level Chocolate Chip Cookies

             Double Chocolate Muscovado Cookies

             Mrs. Braun’s Oatmeal Cookies

             —Muscovado: The Bad Boy—

             Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

             Iced Muscovado Caramel-Nut Blondies

             —How to Brown Butter—

             Oatmeal and Turbinado Cream Cookie Sandwiches

             —How to Toast Nuts—

             Crunchy Almond Shortbread

             Spiced Chocolate Molasses Buttons

             Chocolate-Slicked Chewy Crispy Bars

             —Homemade Infused Natural Sugars—

             Maple Sugar Butter Cookies

IN SPITE OF THE FACT that our modern lives seem to zoom along at 500 miles per hour, it’s comforting to know that there are still plenty of opportunities to offer up something sweet and handmade. But for me, this all too often involves an opportunity that spooks me and sends me into a tailspin. Examples include the bake sale I forgot I signed up for; another friend just had a baby and deserves major comfort food; it’s December 23, and I really should leave a little something for the mailman who hauls all those packages up my front steps. In these situations, I’m grateful for an arsenal of simple, sturdy treats for the sweet tooth that are perfect for wrapping up in festive ways. And with natural sugars in the mix, you get stepped-up familiar favorites that wow every time.