Method

Meringues are one of the most elegant treats in the cookie kingdom. Stunning in their simplicity, they are beloved by many for being not only rich and delicious, but also tantalizingly low in calories, offering sweetness without health-breaking badness.

Since they are simply an airy, whipped mix of egg whites and sugar -- ingredients that just need a little time in a stand mixer before being piped and slowly baked -- they are perfect for impressive, last-minute projects. Meringues are malleable, easy to work with, and can suit any holiday need, from classy adult appetizers to cute kid treats. Perfect for any tastebud or gathering, they are the holiday treat that can't be beat.

We've come to the last of the "four Ms" needed to make everybody's favorite concentrated coffee kicker. And the last "M" is the romantic part, the human touch -- la mano, or the hand of the barista. Of course, as a professional barista trainer, I am inclined to think that this last "M" is the most important in the scheme of espresso-making. Call me biased, but seriously, you think this stuff is going to make itself?

The barista's role is perhaps more nuanced and significant even than it seems at first blush. For one thing, there's a good reason we're lumped in with all the fine-tuned mechanical details of the equipment and the blend: The barista is to be part artist, part machine. Just as la macchina is designed to the same thing every time you turn it on, so too should the barista be as consistent as possible. He or she should understand the "how" and "why" behind every step in the process -- from grinding to extracting to drinking.

A good barista can make delicious coffee; a great barista can explain how it came to be that way.

Meet the white-chocolate brownie, a delightful home-baked treat that combines the rarefied taste and texture of white chocolate with just the right touch of sweet cranberries, under a snowy blanket of old-fashioned cream frosting. Go ahead, bake two batches: They're so easy to make and so good to eat that you're going to want to take them to your office holiday event, present-wrapping party or cookie swap.

Get the recipe after the jump.

A steak delivery chain that's closed half its outlets is pinning its turnaround hopes on a state that seems perpetually starved for beef.

"If you can't make a steak delivery system work in Texas, then something's very wrong," concedes Mark Kime, who opened the state's first Steak-Out in Fort Worth late last month.

The Steak-Out concept -- summarized on the company's Web site as "from our grill to your door" -- was created in 1986 in Alabama by David Martin, who helped grow the chain to 70 stores. There are now a mere 30 outlets spread across a dozen Southern and Midwestern states.

According to a recent story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the chain shut down 10 stores over the last 18 months for under-performing and failing to comply with company standards. Chief Operating Officer Peter Petrosian told the paper that Steak-Out plans to revitalize its operations by recruiting more franchisees like Kime, who's spent 17 years in the restaurant business.

The fortune cookie has always been the classic finish to American-style Chinese food, with its ubiquitous scrap of paper offering charming fortunes. The cookie itself is a crisp and sugary nibble -- an everyday sort of treat, good for a quick laugh and sugar rush. But these folded soothsayers can also be whipped into a delightful holiday treat -- one that will wow guests and lucky gift recipients with its unexpected charm.

Starting from scratch, the whole world of divination can bend at your whim with self-made fortunes, perfectly flavored cookies and a festive chocolate coating perfect for Christmastime.