Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked cookies still warm from the oven. Cookies are the ultimate comfort food, and they are most welcome any time of the year.

These tasty treats are great for birthdays and bake sales -- or just to enjoy anytime. They are easy to prepare, and most bake in 10 minutes or less. The 400 outstanding recipes include:

• Drop cookies like white chocolate coconut cookies and lemon drops
• Hand-shaped cookies like ultimate dark chocolate espresso cookies
• Chocolate-chip heaven, such as cream cheese chocolate chip cookies
• Oatmeal cookie delights like cranberry oat cookies and banana rum oatmeal cookies
• Easy refrigerator slice-and-bake cookies like cinnamon crisps and orange clouds
• Extra special cookies like boysenberry blossoms, cranberry pinwheels and butterhorns.

There are also traditional recipes for bars and squares, plus mouthwatering recipes for yummy brownies.