Cookies!

Do you bake a big platter of cookies to share with family and friends during the holidays?  If you need a few new ideas for recipes, try one of these highly rated cookie cookbooks!

American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations by Anne Byrn - Each of America's little bites--cookies, candies, wafers, brittles--tells a big story, and each speaks volumes about what was going on in America when the recipes were created. In American Cookie, the New York Times bestselling author and Cake Mix Doctor Anne Byrn takes us on a journey through America's baking history. And just like she did in American Cake, she provides an incredibly detailed historical background alongside each recipe. Because the little bites we love are more than just baked goods--they're representations of different times in our history. Early colonists brought sugar cookies, Italian fig cookies, African benne wafers, and German gingerbread cookies. Each of the 100 recipes, from Katharine Hepburn Brownies and Democratic Tea Cakes to saltwater taffy and peanut brittle, comes with a lesson that's both informative and enchanting

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich - Cookies are easy, enticing, and fun. Yet as the award-winning baker Alice Medrich notes, too often, home cooks cling to the recipe on the bag of chocolate chips, when so much more is possible. "What if cookies reflected our modern culinary sensibility--our spirit of adventure and passion for flavors and even our dietary concerns?" Medrich writes in her introduction to this landmark cookie cookbook, organized by texture, from crunchy to airy to chunky.  An inveterate tester and master manipulator of ingredients, she draws on the world's pantry of ingredients for such delicious riffs on the classics as airy meringues studded with cashews and chocolate chunks, palmiers (elephant's ears) made with cardamom and caramel, and rugelach with halvah. Butter and sugar content is slashed and the flavor turned up on everything from ginger snaps to chocolate clouds. From new spins on classic recipes including chocolate-chip cookies and brownies, to delectable 2-point treats for Weight Watchers, to cookies to make with kids, this master conjurer of sweets will bring bliss to every dessert table.

The Cookie Book: Decadent Bites for Every Occasion by Rebecca Firth - The Cookie Book will satisfy all of your cookie cravings - from mid-week classics that can be easily had in under an hour to fun, innovative weekend baking projects to dazzle your friends! Rebecca Firth, food writer, photographer and creator of the sweet-focused blog DisplacedHousewife, is your go-to cookie source and new best friend. With prose that reads more like a chat between friends and recipes that mix comfort with innovation, her first book is guaranteed to delight. More than 75 brand-new recipes include easy-to-follow instructions, helpful tips and beautiful photography for each whimsical creation. The Cookie Book includes a wide-range of cookies to fit every type of craving. You'll satisfy a simple mid-week chocolate chip cookie craving by perusing the Hella Chocolate Chip Cookie Chapter (think Big Ass Olive Oil Cookies and Everything Chocolate Chip Cookies). When you're looking to dive a little deeper into butter and sugar you can dabble in Dazzling Drop Cookies (Oatmeal, Blueberry + Puffed Quinoa Breakfast Cookies and Banana Bread Chocolate Chunk Cookies) or jump into the Jazz Hands Chapter and dazzle with Cold Brew Cookies With White Chocolate + Espresso Beans and Burnt Sugar Bark Ginger Cookies. Rebecca has gained a large and loyal following for her sumptuous treats. "Writer, photographer and queen of cookies, Rebecca Firth teases my sweet tooth and I am not mad about it. Love following her and her tempting creations and can't wait to see what she comes up with next." Tiffani Thiessen, actress and author of Pull Up a Chair. The Cookie Book is a beautifully crafted book that will satisfy both long time DisplacedHousewife readers as well as enchant those discovering her for the first time.

Cookie Craft: From Baking to Lust Dust, Designs and Techniques for Creative Cookie Occasions by Valerie Peterson & Janice Fryer - Beautifully decorated cookies are within reach for every home baker, thanks to the easy and practical methods developed by cookie-crafting enthusiasts Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer. From rolling and cutting to flooding and piping, you'll find dozens of techniques to turn plain cookies into fun treats for your next special occasion. With instructions for making stand-up cookies, tips on creating icing color palettes, and advice on freezing and shipping, the cookie fun never stops!

Decorating Cookies: 60+ Designs for Holidays, Celebrations & Everyday by Bridget Edwards - Let cookie guru Bridget Edwards guide you through more than 60 delicious cookie-decorating designs for every occasion and holiday, from luscious springtime daisies to spooky spider webs to personalized birthdays. Cookie dough and royal icing recipes are included, and every iced design features easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos. Five guest-star baker-bloggers each share a special decorating technique: Amanda Rettke of i am baker, Marian Poirer of Sweetopia, Gail Dosik of One Tough Cookie, Meaghan Mountford of The Decorated Cookie, and Callye Alvarado of The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.

Dorie's Cookies by Dorie Greenspan - Over the course of her baking career, Dorie Greenspan has created more than 300 cookie recipes. Yet she has never written a book about them--until now. To merit her "three purple stars of approval," every cookie had to be so special that it begged to be made again and again. Cookies for every taste and occasion are here. There are company treats like Portofignos, with chocolate dough and port-soaked figs, and lunch-box Blueberry Buttermilk Pie Bars. They Might Be Breakfast Cookies are packed with goodies--raisins, dried apples, dried cranberries, and oats-- while Almond Crackle Cookies have just three ingredients. There are dozens of choices for the Christmas cookie swaps, including Little Rascals (German jam sandwich cookies with walnuts), Italian Saucissons (chocolate log cookies studded with dried fruit), and Snowy-Topped Brownie Drops. And who but America's favorite baker could devise a cookie as intriguing as Pink-Peppercorn Thumbprints or as popular as the World Peace Cookie, with its 59 million Internet fans?

Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season by Elisabet der Nederlanden - This instant holiday classic is packed with 50 recipes, each gorgeously photographed and meticulously tested, along with dozens of decorating and packaging ideas. Filled with reimagined favorites like Giant Molasses Spice Cookies and Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies; confections like Peppermint Bark, Smoked Almond and Cacao Nib Brittle, and Dark Chocolate-Hazelnut Fudge; and detailed instructions for gorgeous gingerbread houses, cookie place cards, and edible ornaments, this is a cookie book like no other. Because the recipes are easy to scale up or down, Holiday Cookies is perfect for cookie exchanges, gift-giving, and just enjoying throughout the season. From a veteran baker and recipe developer, each cookie in this collection is guaranteed to be a stand-out, and destined to become your new Christmas classic.

Julia M. Usher's Ultimate Cookies by Julia M. Usher - Delve into the world of cookie magic, where you can make everything from edible jewelry to cookie bacon and eggs! Organized by theme, each chapter is overflowing with luscious photographs and dozens of recipes and ideas. In carefully illustrated details, the author guides you to make perfect little cookie masterpieces.

Sally's Cookie Addiction: Irresistible Cookies, Bars, Shortbread, and More by Sally McKenney - Are you ready to sink your teeth into Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies? How about Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies or Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies? Featuring a mouthwatering selection of cookies, cookie bars, cookie dough dips, slice-and-bakes, no-bakes, and more, Sally's Cookie Addiction features dozens of exciting flavors, including chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, sugar, coconut, lemon, s'more, and oatmeal, oh my!
 The best part? Sally's Cookie Addiction, Sally will tell you how to make each and every cookie in the book ahead of time. So, if you want to start preparing for the holidays, or if you just like keeping cookie dough in your freezer for those critical cookie emergencies!
 Complete with tips on how to bake the perfect cookie and gorgeous photography, Sally's Cookie Addiction is the only cookie book you need on your shelf. Get ready for your kitchen to be the most popular room in the house while the smells of Warm Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookies, Lemon Creme Sandwich Cookies, and Soft-Baked Sugar Cookie Bars emanate from the oven!

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Diary-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero - Don't run. Don't hide. Vegan cookies are going to invade your cookie jar, one delicious bite at a time. Join award-winning bakers Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (authors of the hit cookbook V egan Cupcakes Take Over the World ) as they continue their world-domination mission- with dairy- and egg-free batches of everyone's favourite treats. Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar includes more than 100 irresistible recipes for cookies, bars, biscotti, brownies, and more. Discover festive desserts that are sure to impress family and friends at any occasion, from birthdays to bake sales. Or simply tempt yourself with: · Magical Coconut Cookie Bars · Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies · Peanut Butter Crisscrosses · NYC Black & Whites · Key Lime Shortbread Rounds · Call Me Blondies · Macadamia Lace Cookies Throughout the book, Isa and Terry share their best mixing, baking, and decorating techniques and tackle age-old cookie conundrums. Learn the secrets of vegan-izing name-brand favourites (Nutter Betters, anyone?), whipping up gluten-free batches, and even making cookies you can eat for breakfast. When vegan cookies invade your cookie jar, it's yummy to give in! 

Cake!

So, today is NOT International Cake Day.  Saturday is! (July 20) I thought I would give you the list a little early so you have time to get a book, pick a recipe, and bake it for this very important holiday.

American Cake: From Colonial Gingerbread to Classic Layer, the Stories and Recipes Behind More Than 125 of Our Best-Loved Cakes From Past to Present by Anne Byrn - Taste your way through America with more than 125 recipes for our favorite historical cakes and frostings. Cakes in America aren't just about sugar, flour, and frosting. They have a deep, rich history that developed as our country grew. Cakes, more so than other desserts, are synonymous with celebration and coming together for happy times. They're an icon of American culture, reflecting heritage, region, season, occasion, and era. And they always have been, throughout history. In American Cake, Anne Byrn, creator of the New York Times bestselling series The Cake Mix Doctor, takes you on a journey through America's past to present with more than 125 authentic recipes for our best-loved and beautiful cakes and frostings. Tracing cakes chronologically from the dark, moist gingerbread of New England to the elegant pound cake, the hardscrabble Appalachian stack cake, war cakes, deep-South caramel, Hawaiian Chantilly, and the modern California cakes of orange and olive oil, Byrn shares recipes, stories, and a behind-the-scenes look into what cakes we were baking back in time. From the well-known Angel Food, Red Velvet, Pineapple Upside-Down, Gooey Butter, and Brownie to the lesser-known Burnt Leather, Wacky Cake, Lazy Daisy, and Cold Oven Pound Cake, this is a cookbook for the cook, the traveler, or anyone who loves a good story. And all recipes have been adapted to the modern kitchen.

Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked With Spirits, Wine, and Beer by Krystina Castella - This gorgeous full-color cookbook features easy step-by-step recipes for a variety of decadent delicacies, including traditional Booze Cakes (Black Forest Cakes and English Trifle) as well as more contemporary cocktail cakes (Pina Colada Cake, White Russian Cupcakes, and Sex-on-a-Beach Cake). There's even a chapter devoted to cake shots-delicious cupcake morsels infused with the flavors of mojitos, kamikazes, and more. These tasty treats are ideal for parties, potlucks, and pitch-ins-and this cookbook's affordable price and adorable format make it the perfect gift for your favorite hostess!

Cake Confidence: Sure-Fire Recipes & Tips for Over-the-Top Gorgeous Cakes by Mandy Merriman - There's always something to celebrate in life, and there's no better way to celebrate than with some decadent, mouthwatering cake! No matter your confidence in baking, Mandy Merriman--the Blondie of the popular blog Baking with Blondie--is here to help you think outside the cakebox and create easy, delicious, beautiful cakes that you'll definitely want to show off. Dust off your apron and get ready to create some buttercream joy.

Cake Magic: Mix & Match Your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations by Caroline Wright - It's a simple formula for dessert bliss: batter + syrup + frosting = 100 different cakes! An innovative and remarkable easy way to bake luscious, flavorful cakes, Cake Magic! is a full-color visual cookbook-photos in the front, recipes in the back-for every cake lover, for fans of the genius of The Cake Mix Doctor series, and for home bakers who obsess over colorful cakes on Pinterest and Instagram (where cakes are consistently in the "most popular" feed). The key to the cakes' ease is the homemade Mix + Match Baking Mix - the foundation of every cake in the book. From there it's just a matter of mixing and matching batters, flavoring syrups (the secret step that makes these cake recipes so versatile), frostings, and, sometimes, topping to create unique cakes. Want something decadent and fudgy? Darkest Chocolate Cake + Milky Caramel Syrup + Malted Milk Chocolate Frosting + crushed candy bars = Candy Bar Cake. Swap in Bourbon Syrup + Cream Cheese Frosting, and you have the grown-up Drunken Tuxedo Cake. There's nothing vanilla about these vanilla cakes (Cookies + Cream Cake, Caramel-Pineapple Upside-Down Layer Cake); ethereal coconut cakes; and nutty cakes like Elvis-Peanut Butter Cake + Bacon Syrup + Nutella Frosting, topped with candied bacon. Fit for the Kind, indeed. Includes valuable baking tips, vegan and gluten-free variations, plus how to tweak the recipes to make sheet cakes, Bundt cakes, and cupcakes.

Cool Layer Cakes: 50 Delicious and Amazing Layer Cakes to Bake and Decorate by Ceri Olofson - The layer cake sits on the table looking simple enough, but then the first slice is cut and everyone gasps...each of the six layers is a different color of the rainbow! Nothing is a bigger crowd pleaser than a unique layer cake. And although a finished cake can look sophisticated and complex, creating it may be easier than you think. In Cool Layer Cakes, professional cake designer Ceri Olofson provides more than 50 amazing layer cake projects that will inspire bakers of all levels to take their creations to new heights! Readers will find:
Advice on gathering essential tools, equipment, and ingredients
Core recipes for the best cakes and frosting for layering
Basic sugar craft and decorating techniques
Insider tricks for creating a professional finish
With names like Sunset Fade, Flower Meadow, Pearl Cascade, and Sprinkle Explosion, the projects in Cool Layer Cakes are guaranteed to please. Gorgeous, full-color photos of each cake, along with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

The European Cake Cookbook: Discover a New World of Decadence From the Celebrated Traditions of European Baking by Tatyana Nesteruk - For Tatyana Nesteruk, who was born in Ukraine, baking has always been a huge passion. Her blog, Tatyana's Everyday Food, has gathered a large following of dedicated readers who especially love her extravagant and unique cakes. In her debut cookbook, Tatyana draws on her family roots to take readers on a delightful baking journey throughout Europe to learn the stories behind each region's iconic cakes, flavors and techniques. With so much variety of rich, dense cakes and lighter, more delicate creations, avid home bakers will find endless inspiration.Eastern Europe features moist cakes with creamy fillings such as Chocolate Kievsky Torte, a decadent cake with layers of chocolate sponge cake and hazelnut meringue. Western European delicacies are light and elegant, inspired by French pastries such as Strawberries & Cream Crepe Cake or Creme Brulee Cheesecake. Then there are the Southern-inspired cakes featuring tiramisu, cheeses and fruits; Central indulgences including hearty, dense chocolate cakes and velvety bundts; and finally Northern treats that are soft, buttery and perfect to accompany afternoon tea. Explore the rich history and flavors of Europe--and even pick up a new skill or two--with the fabulous cakes from this inspiring cookbook.

Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adams - As a child, Adams and her family would routinely embark on the ten-hour journey from their home in Chicago to Winona, Mississippi. There, she would watch her grandmother, affectionately nicknamed Big Mama, bake and develop delicious, melt-in-your-mouth desserts. From blooming tree-picked fruit to farm-raised eggs and fresh-churned butter, Big Mama used what was readily available to invent completely original treats. Adams treasured the moments when her mother, aunt, and Big Mama would bring her into the kitchen to let her dabble in the process as a rite of passage. Big Mama's recipes became the fabric of their family heritage. Grandbaby Cakes is Adams's love note to her family, thanking those who came before and passing on this touching tradition with 50 brilliant cakes.
Grandbaby Cakes pairs charming stories of Big Mama's kitchen with recipes ranging from classic standbys to exciting adventures--helpfully marked by degree of difficulty--that will inspire your own family for years to come. Adams creates sophisticated flavor combinations based on Big Mama's gorgeous centerpiece cakes, giving each recipe something familiar mixed with something new. From pound cakes and layer cakes to sheet cakes and "baby" cakes (cupcakes and cakelettes),Grandbaby Cakes delivers fun, hip recipes perfect for any celebration.

Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes by Tessa Huff - It's time to venture beyond vanilla and chocolate and take your baking skills up a notch. We're talking layers--two, three, four, or more! Create sky-high, bakery-quality treats at home with Tessa Huff's 150 innovative recipes, which combine new and exciting flavors of cake, fillings and frostings-- everything from pink peppercorn cherry to bourbon butterscotch and pumpkin vanilla chai to riesling rhubarb and raspberry chocolate stout. Including contemporary baking methods and industry tips and tricks, Layered covers every decorating technique you'll ever need with simple instructions and gorgeous step-by-step photos that speak to bakers of every skill level--and to anyone who wants to transform dessert into layer upon layer of edible art.

Naked Cakes: Simply Stunning Cakes by Hannah Miles - So called 'naked cakes' are an increasingly popular choice for celebrations both large and small and what you see is what you get!
While in recent years the trend has been for cakes to be encased in frosting and decorated in a fancy style, there is a new trend for stripping cakes back, and decorating them very simply with fresh edible flowers and vibrant berries or using pastel shades to make the cake itself the star attraction. The queen of cakes, Hannah Miles, has undressed classic cakes to create these delightful recipes. Whether you want to create Vintage Elegance, Rustic Style, Romantic Charm, Chic Simplicity or Dramatic Effect, or make something to represent the Changing Seasons, you'll find the perfect recipe and design here. Choose from floral cakes such as Rose Petal Victoria Sponge, zingy citrus bakes such as Clementine Mini Cakes and luxurious berry fruit offerings including Blueberry and Lemon Cake. There are plenty of ideas to tempt the sophisticated nut-lover and chocoholic, such as Chocolate Layer Cake with Honey-roasted Figs, Coffee and Walnut Cake with Praline Cream and Spun Sugar, and Pink Layer Cake with Pistachio Cream. These cakes are not for every day--they are special treats and the perfect treat for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations all year round. From the surprisingly simple to the lusciously extravagant, family and friends will be astounded by these impressive bakes.

Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth by Julie Richardson - Make every occasion—the annual bake sale, a birthday party, or even a simple Sunday supper—a celebration with this charming collection of more than 50 remastered classics. Each recipe in Vintage Cakes is a confectionary stroll down memory lane. After sifting through her treasure trove of cookbooks and recipe cards, master baker and author Julie Richardson selected the most inventive, surprising, and just plain delicious cakes she could find. The result is a delightful and delectable time capsule of American baking, with recipes spanning a century.
With precise and careful guidance, Richardson guides home bakers—whether total beginners or seasoned cooks—toward picture-perfect meringues, extra-creamy frostings, and lighter-than-air chiffons. A few of the dreamy cakes that await: a chocolatey Texas Sheet Cake as large and abundant as its namesake state, the boozy Not for Children Gingerbread Bundt cake, and the sublime Lovelight Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream. With recipes to make Betty Crocker proud, these nostalgic and foolproof sweets rekindle our love affair with cakes.