Customer Reviews: Read 84 more reviews...
 beautiful book January 6, 2009
I enjoed a lot just reading the recipes, I think it could be wonderful when I try some of them. There are a lot of beautiful photoes and useful tips. The part regarding tools and packaging is interesting and helpful, especially for people, like me, taht want to give cookies to friends and relatives for special events....
 Great recipes December 26, 2008
After about 10 years using Rose Levy Birnbaum's Christmas cookie book, this year I switched wholesale to my new Martha Stewart's Cookies book. Birnbaum's book, which I love, has nuts in almost every cookie, and I had several people with nut allergies on my cookie recipients list. I had some other requirements for cookies, too--ones that didn't require long chilling periods for dough, quick to make, with fairly few ingredients, and with some role for a new baker's helper (2 years old).
I was able to find a good selection of recipes in Martha's book to fit all these criteria, with a few modifications: chocolate crackles, pfeffernusse, lime meltaways, sugar cookies (made small and with Christmas instead of Easter cutters, natch), raspberry and apricot thumbprints adapted from the chocolate thumbprint recipe.
All have been popular and I've spent the week before Christmas defending the tins intended for friends from my immediate family. However, I must agree with a few of the criticisms of other reviewers. It would help to have more info on how dough should look/feel, and also how to know when cookies are done. Some recipes say "bake for X minutes or until edges are golden brown," but others just give the time, not useful given the variations in ovens, and also that I like to make my Christmas cookies really small. Also, while I like having the pictures of cookies in the index, I find the classification by texture annoying--I'd much rather have, say, all the chocolate cookies together so I can compare and select recipes without flipping back and forth through the book.
I don't think this is a good book for a beginning baker, but for the experienced who can adjust and fill in the less-complete info, the recipes are well worth it!
Well organized, delicious, beaufiful pictures December 24, 2008
I checked this book out at my local library and made a few cookies before ordering it. (I have too many cookbooks as it is). The recipes and photos are divine! The only complaint I have about this book is that I wish the publisher had included measurements by weight. Most home cooks use volume to measure out ingredients, but those of us who use weight have a hard and tedious time going back to volume. That being said, I want to tell you that the most delicious Palmiers and Chocolate Crackle cookies I have ever eaten, came out of this book. During Christmas I bake LOTS of cookies to give away, and this year I received many compliments on the cookies from this book. So next year I will use some of the same recipes plus a few new ones. Besides the great photos and recipes, the Table of Contents is a pictorial of the 175 cookie recipes. All the cookies are right there, in front of you to choose from without having to peruse the entire book to choose what you are going to bake. This to me is a great time saver. The cookies are divided into the following sections:
Light and Delicate
Soft and Chewy
Crumbly and Sandy
Chunky and Nutty
Cakey and Tender
Crisp and Crunchy
Rich and Dense
Tools and Techniques
Packaging and Giving
Sources
This is a great book to own, but be careful.....those cookies have a way of jumping out of the page, make you bake them, and then insist on following you everywhere by sitting on your hips, thighs, belly, etc. If you are not a cookie monster now, you will be one if you have this book.
Amazing December 14, 2008
I can only say that, AMAZING. I've tried about 30 recipes and they all got really good and very easy to prepare. I love my cookie bible. Martha Stewart has very good and interesting ideas as always.
For the Cookie Lover in All of Us December 9, 2008
If you love cookies, then you'll love this book! I love how the table of contents are pictures of the cookies! All the cookies are categorized by their texture, which helps you get a feel for the cookie and how it will taste in the end. This book is highly recommended!!!
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