Book Review - The 250 Best Cookie Recipes

About the Book
Who doesn't remember the wonderful, warm aroma coming from the kitchen as Mom was baking cookies?

With 250 recipes to choose from, you'll find an extraordinary range of cookies for every occasion and for everyone from young to old in this complete cookbook. Looking for the perfect accompaniment to your next cappuccino? Chocolate Walnut and Chocolate Nut Coffee Biscotti fit the bill perfectly! And with cookie swaps becoming so popular, choosing just one recipe will be really tough. Whether you choose The Ultimate Sugar Cookie, Chocolate 'n' Vanilla Spirals or Butterscotch Pecan Cookies -- all are sure crowd pleasers.

And of course no holiday occasion or gift basket would be complete without Hanukkah Sugar Cookies, Cherry Valentine Cookies, Thanksgiving Pumpkin Spice Cookies or Holiday Cranberry Cookies.

The recipes are broken down into easy to find and follow sections: Drop Cookies, Hand-Shaped Cookies, Sliced Cookies, Biscotti, Sandwich Cookies, No-Bake Cookies, and Holiday cookies.

Helpful baking tips are featured throughout the book as are ingredient methods (for example the correct way to melt chocolate), storage methods and even a cookie troubleshooting section. If you love to bake (and eat!) cookies, this is an absolute must-have for your kitchen.

About the Author
Esther Brody has developed thousands of baking recipes over the years and has written several bestselling baking books including The 250 Best Muffin Recipes, 500 Best Muffin Recipes, 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes and More and 250 Best Cobblers, Custards, Cupcakes, Bread Puddings and More.


My Take on the Book
Another amazing cookbook from this author. Being a father to small girls you can bet they love cookies and this cookbook delivers. With 250 recipes you will be kept on your toes for some time with this. What was nice though is that the cookbook was easy to understand and the cookies were easy enough to make. Our favorite so far are the crispy caramel haystacks, but I have already been earmarking pages for other ones that look delicious too. There is a little bit of everything for any cookie lover in this book. As in another book from this author that I reviewed, i would have liked to have had more images, but what you get is still great! If you love making cookies you will love this cookbook!


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Book Review - Sassy Cookies: Sweet, Spicy, and Savory Treats with Swagger

About the Book
Unusual, edgy cookie recipes are presented here, with chapters covering chocolate, bar, nutty/fruity, herby/cheesy, and delicate but feisty sensations. Readers can wow their taste buds with cardamom-ginger bars, apricot-cherry shortbread, saffron-pistachio lace cookies, and 37 other varieties. Sections on storing, freezing, gift packing, and shipping these treasures are included.

My Take on the Book
If you love to prepare cookies, enjoy eating cookies, and are always on the "look out" for new cookie recipes, this just may be the cookie cookbook for you. Luane Kohnke has written a cookie cookbook that certainly piqued my interest starting with the title. Luane's cookbook is divided onto various sections: Chocolate, Spice, and Everything Nice, Nutty Fruity Bars, and Herby, Cheesy Savories are just a few.

I was eager to prepare several from different categories. One I chose was LEMON YOGURT SQUARES. There are two steps in the process of putting together this bar cookie recipe. First a crust is made and baked which includes hazelnuts and then the filling is prepared using an electric mixer. The filling used whole fat Greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest with eggs, sugar and a little flour. Once it is baked and cooled we tasted it. It is creamy, light and similar to a cheesecake. It was delicious.

Another recipe I chose was in the savory section. This one was called BLUE CHEESE AND CRANBERRY COOKIES. The combination intrigued me. Along with flour and cornstarch, the recipe called for blue cheese, dried cranberries and pecans. You make the dough and once you roll it into a log , you refrigerate it for a least two hours or over night. The baked cookie was similar to a shortbread cookie. The blue cheese was not dominant in the flavor, and the dried fruit and nuts were a nice complement. Again a delicious cookie.

My family enjoyed both of these recipes.

Luane's recipes include the use of goat cheese, crystallized ginger, cayenne pepper, and other ingredients you may not have used in cookie recipes before. I encourage you to take a look at her book. It definitely will take you on a new adventure in baking and your family and friends will ask you for the recipes.

Buon Appetito!


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Airbake Baking Sheets are Amazing for any Baker!

About the Product
Are you baking cookies for someone special? What if I were to tell you there is such a thing as a NO-BURN GUARANTEE! T-fal’s AirBake bakeware features non-stick insulation—two heavyweight aluminum sheets surround a layer of air. The air reduces the temperature of the metal that comes in contact with the food which makes for even baking and browning! Available at www.t-falusa.com.

My Take on the Product
What I love about these pans is how evenly things bake on these pans. The pans work so well to make sure that the heat is evenly distributed. I have used too many baking sheets that simply burn the items that I am trying to bake but in trying out the pans that I was sent I was quite impressed as there was no burned cookies and with the non-stick surface, I was happy to find that we were able to take off the cookies that we baked without any sticking or any pre-spraying to assist with this. Overall, I would highly recommend these to anyone who enjoys baking!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Kroger's Truly Awesome Cookies Are Tasty Buy a Bit Crunchy for my Taste

If you enjoy cookies that are like Chips Ahoy the you will love the new Kroger Truly Awesome Cookies. They are large and crunchy and have a ton of Chocolate Chips within them.

For me, I would say that the cookies themselves have great taste. Yet the only thing I did not like as much was how crunchy they were. You see, I am more of the type of person that enjoys cookies that are soft, such as the right out of the oven type.

Not that these cookies are bad in any sense as they are not, but for me they would not be my first pick due to my own taste.

I will say though that my daughters loved the cookies and thought that they were delicious. They asked for more and more and were continually amazed at how large they were.

The only other thing that I would have liked would have been a few more cookies within the package themselves as you only receive around 6 cookies in a pack. Now seeing that the cookies were quite large that was ok, but I always like my cookies to last me a few days at least.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Bookazine Review - HOLIDAY: from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living

About the Bookazine
Hearst Magazines today announced the release of Holiday, a new 116-page bookazine filled with unique and crafty ideas for twinkling Christmas trees, fragrant wreaths, holiday entertaining, cookies and more, from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living. You bring the cheer; Holiday brings the rest! On newsstands now, Holiday costs $9.99 and can be downloaded on Zinio at www.Zinio.com.

Holiday provides everything you need for planning and preparing your perfect wintry feast. Whether you prefer a traditional menu (Turkey with Giblet-Mushroom Gravy, pg. 58), an elegant affair (Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib, pg. 66), a simple spread (Pork Loin with Lemon & Coriander, pg. 73), or a lighter option (Salmon with Mustard Glaze, pg. 78), Holiday has something for everyone. Plus, with advice on handmade wreaths (pg. 16), do-it-yourself ornaments (pg. 23), and vintage-inspired garlands (pg. 8), you’ll have exactly what you need to wrap your home in holiday cheer.

My Take on the Bookazine
Do you enjoy decorating and cooking for the holidays ?Do you like to make gifts to give to friends and family?Are you often looking for special recipes for family holiday meals or even a new cookie recipe? If so, this magazine will become a valuable resource you will want to purchase.

Some highlights I would like to share with you are: beautiful detailed photographs of every decorating idea and recipe ,easy to follow directions, most of the ideas use materials or ingredients that can easily be purchased in local stores, tips for making ahead food items, and specific cookie suggestions.

One entry I particularly thought useful was the recipe for the basic brownie batter. After the basic recipe, the authors included variations using the recipe. Here are the variations: Rocky Road Brownies, Malted Milk Brownies, Fudgy Peppermint Brownies, Pecan Triangles, and Turtle Brownie Bars. The photographs will definitely tempt you to try a few of these recipes.

In conclusion, if you are searching for a new holiday book full of decorating ideas and yummy recipes, you will want to take a look at this one. Enjoy!

Holiday also provides a one-stop shop on all things cookies; with advice on cookie cutting, dough rolling, and icing methods, you’ll want to dig in to recipes like Sweet & Spicy Snowflakes (pg. 42), Linzer Tart Trees (pg. 50), Chocolate-Filled Stars (pg. 51), and Cinnamon Candy Canes (pg. 41). Ready, set, snow!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Book Review: Scandinavian Classic Baking

About the BookDistinguished by hints of cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel, these sweet yeast breads, berry-studded tarts, and nutty pastries offer the most memorable flavors of Scandinavian cuisine. Gorgeously photographed, the authentic recipes range from hearty and wholesome Scandinavian Rye Bread, Swedish Lucia Buns, and Mini Princess Cakes to the traditional and venturesome Danish Aebleskiver, Norwegian Fattigmann, and Sandbakkels.
The book, organized by type of dish, includes information about each of the countries that make up Scandinavia along with anecdotes and notes about traditions, holidays, and baking tips and tricks. Featuring photographs from around the region and information on where to find the equipment for specialty baking endeavors, this cookbook invites bakers of all levels to experience Northern Europe’s best coffee breads, cakes, cookies, and tarts.

My Take on the Book
As a Swedish American, I have to say that though I have this blood flowing through my veins, I never really grew up with this type of food in my home. Though this was the case, I was always interested in trying recipes, but I had yet to try them in the past. Thus, when I was asked to try out this recipe book, I knew that it was definitely one that I wanted to try for myself.

This book does a great job of sharing some of the delicacies that the Scandinavian countries are known for such as the pastries and other bakery items. I found the recipes to be easy to follow and not to intricate that I was messing up the ones that I tried. To this point I have tried only a couple of recipes and I have to say that they are thus far very succulent, and I know though that if I am not careful, I will be putting on some extra pounds from these extra baked goods.

So if you love pastry and baking, try some ethic baking and learn form the best!


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
 
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Miniatures - Delightfully Good

About the CandyBake Shoppe® Cookie Dough Miniatures are delicious bite size morsels, made with real butter in the batter and no egg or hydrogenated oils! It's the perfect treat to enjoy while watching a movie or if you just need a quick chocolate fix!

COOKIE DOUGH ON THE GO!™ Cookie Cough Lovers celebrate, because Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures Are the Real Deal you’ve been craving! Our Butter-In-The-Batter™, Mixing Bowl Licking™, Heavenly Bite Size Cookie Dough Morsels™ are drenched in pure Milk Chocolate, to tantalize your taste buds! Enjoy our egg-free Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures on the go, or, you can just savor them slowly…one delicious mouth-watering bite at a time! Bake Shoppe™ Cookie Dough Miniatures is offered in a 3.5 oz Concession Box.

Notes: Is this another brand of chocolate covered chewy cookies? Or are they just repackaged Cookie Dough Bites? It’d be nice if they had better chocolate on them than the original - though Albanese makes some tasty cookie bites as does Koppers for those looking for good quality ingredients.

My Take on the CandySinfully sweet are two words that I would say about this. As a fan of Cookie Dough, this candy is definitely something that I would recommend to others looking for a similar sweet fix. Bite-sized and handy to have around, this is a great portable dessert!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Weight Watchers Baked Goods

I was given the opportunity to try out a box of Weight watchers new baked goods. With 11 different baked good that one can try and with point values that range from 1-3, you cannot lose.

I chose to try the Chocolate Chip cookies. I have had lower calorie cookies in the past and to be honest, low calories at times means low taste as well. The cookies that we in the Divadom tried were delicious. The cookies were moist and chewy, and tasted great!

While I have never been on Weight Watchers myself, I was impressed by the number of items that they have available as well as the recipes and other great resources that they provide on their website. For those of you that are looking to find a way to lose some weight and have the discipline to stick with the program, Weight Watchers may be the right fit for you.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.


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