Meet The Team / Monika Bartyzel

With the December chill setting in, there's nothing quite as sweet as cold air warmed with the scent of Christmas cookie baking.

One of the easiest holiday cookies to make is Scottish shortbread. A simple combination of flour, sugar and butter, these cookies could not be any simpler, but with a little flair, they can become an elegant and delicious addition to a party table or Santa's helping of cookies and milk on Christmas Eve.

We're now in the last push before Thanksgiving. There's no time to carefully make marzipan treats or tasty maple concoctions. But there is still the possibility of sweetness without resorting to the old-school pie baking. Simply put down the pie shell, find a pumpkin-shaped pan and whip up a delicious, show-stopping cake.

The orange squash is one of the most undervalued delicacies in the world of food. By adding it to a cake, you get all the rich and spicy flavor contrasted with vanilla or chocolate. Since this is a cake, it can be made ahead of time -- freeing up the oven for the last-minute fare -- and adds some three-dimensional whimsy to your holiday table.

One of the biggest secrets of the baking world is that some of the most impressive treats are often quite easy to make -- especially when marzipan is involved. That thick and nutty almond paste offers a flavor perfect for Thanksgiving treats, and can easily be molded into any number of holiday-specific nibbles, whether you're an old sculpture pro or feel that you have two left hands.

When we think of Thanksgiving, thoughts usually turn to lavish feasts and a celebration of all things savory. But just as much as this November holiday is a time to come together for massive meals, it's also the perfect time to infuse fall flavor with a dollop of sweetness. Over the next few weeks, I'll be dipping into some fun and easy ways to sweeten up your Thanksgiving, and first up: Hard Maple Syrup Candy.

Maple syrup is the perfect ingredient for Thanksgiving. The turning maple leaves are a staple of fall decorating, the flavor of the syrup is sweet, natural and divine, and the dark and rich brown hue is perfect for the holiday table.

Yet most recipes out there insist on turning that syrup into a crystallized Maple Sugar Candy. Of course, those are great nibbles, but simplifying the recipe and letting that syrup harden offers an equally sinful snack that melts on the tongue and is as decorative as it is tasty.

Halloween is almost here. The costumes are coming together, the ghosts are swooping in, the kiddies are getting restless and there is simply no time to make fancy graveyard cupcakes or malted eyeballs. But Halloween-themed brownies and blondies are still a snap! When time is of the essence, witch fingers are a great treat to whip up, and they will certainly elicit kudos from the crowd.

These crunchy Halloween cookies have run their way back and forth across the Web, but we've come up with twists and style updates that are sure to please. Hit the jump and visit the gallery for inspiration.