Walk into the lobby of the new Doubletree and the first thing you notice is not the $12 million renovation, completed in September 2006, that has transformed the Downtown hotel into a sleek, luxurious space.

Nope, it's the smell of the famous Doubletree chocolate chip cookies that wafts through the air and draws you immediately to the registration desk.

Behind it are four warming drawers stocked with the finest freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on Earth.

Each weighs 2¹/₂ ounces and contains secret ingredients known only to the Christie Cookie Company in Nashville, which makes the batter for the hotel chain.

The tradition of handing guests a warm cookie as they check in began in the early 1980s. Today more than 30,000 cookies are consumed each day. "Originally the Doubletree folks wanted a way to separate themselves from the other hotels," says Bob Andrews, managing director in Pittsburgh. "Giving out a cookie was a welcoming gesture. It's amazing how the customers respond." And if you're not a guest, you can purchase a tin of six cookies for $8.95.

There's no better way to end a meal at Lidia's Pittsburgh than with a shot of espresso and a plate of Biscotti Misti ($6.75). Close your eyes and you'll be transported to an Italian farmhouse where Lidia herself brings you cookies fresh from the oven.

These gorgeous little cookies come in enough varieties to please every palate. Although the exact selection changes, you're likely to see anise or hazelnut biscotti, pignoli, various kinds of shortbread, chocolate crinkle cookies and polenta cookies (Lidia Bastianich's favorite!). The generous serving can be passed around the table, but they're so delicious that you may want to order more than one plate.

Can't get enough? Fortunately, they're available to go as well. Keep them around as an afternoon pick-me-up, or serve them at your next dinner party. They'd also make great favors for a birthday or a wedding.

The Duquesne Club has consistently been voted one of the top private clubs in the country, and one reason is certainly its signature macaroons. More than 250,000 are served each year, yet the members never seem to tire of the sweet almond flavor or the chewy/crunchy consistency. Executive chef Keith Coughenour included the recipe in "Four Seasons of Fine Dining: The Duquesne Club Cookbook," along with many other club favorites, and he says that without doubt, the cookies are the most sought-after delicacy in his kitchens. Why? "They're extremely delicious, almost like candy. And they're the perfect size," says Chef Coughenour. "They've been made so consistently for so many years, they've become a classic." Four simple ingredients go into the confection -- almond paste, sugar, powdered sugar and egg whites. But it's the magic touch -- patting the top of each cookie with a moistened towel -- that gives these cookies their distinctive cracking.

This sweet tradition of the Downtown club requires strong hands and a sturdy mixer. Although it calls for a pastry bag with a star-tip for perfectly symmetrical cookies, we've found that if you're adept at making drop cookies, that approach works just as well as long as they go into the oven immediately.

• 2¹/₂ pounds almond paste
• 1¹/₄ pounds confectioners' sugar (about 4¹/₂ cups)
• 1¹/₄ pounds granulated sugar (just shy of 3 cups)
• 1 pound egg whites (approximately 2 cups or the whites of 12 jumbo eggs)

Break up the almond paste and sugars in a mixer. Mix until fine (otherwise the clumps will clog your pastry tube tip; mash manually if you have to). Gradually add the egg whites in a steady stream. Mix until a smooth paste is obtained.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place macaroon paste in a pastry bag fitted with a plain (No. 6) star tip. Pipe out even quantities of the paste about the size of a well-rounded silver dollar, leaving ample space between each cookie. (They will spread.) Press any tips of raw paste down with a moist towel.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow macaroons to cool on cookie sheet before trying to remove.

Whe sufficiently cooled, remove from parchment paper (peeling the paper away works best), and transfer to an airtight container to ensure freshness and to prevent drying out.

Makes 8 to 9 dozen macaroons.