Christmas Cookies : 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday Season

Although the author says in the introduction that Christmas Cookies: 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday Season is for new as well as experienced cooks, many of the recipes are traditional and likely to be in multiple other sources on the bookshelf of any home baker. Only few of the 50 cookies were new to me. This book would be a good choice for a new baker as it covers what I consider to be the most popular Christmas cookies (sugar cookies, gingerbread men, peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses, linzer cookies, and rum balls to name a few). A new baker would be the most likely to benefit from the chapters on the Basics of Cookie Making, Key Ingredients for the Cookie Baker and Key Tools for the Cookie Baker which contain good basic tips that an experienced baker probably already knows. I have listed the cookie recipes below so you can determine whether they would be new to you or not. Each chapter includes tips for making that type of cookie. The chapter on Drop Cookies includes recipes for: -Maple Walnut Cookies -Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies -Lace Cookies -Almond Macaroons -Iced Lemon Rounds -Coconut Macaroons -Cocoa Meringue Kisses -Mexican Chocolate Snowballs The chapter on Rolled Cookies includes recipes for: -Cornmeal Currant Cookies -Dutch Spice Cookies -Sugar Cookies -Sugar Cookies with Stained Glass -Walnut Stars -Gingerbread People The chapter on Slice and Bake Cookies includes recipes for: -Ginger Coins -Eggnog Cookies -Pinwheel Cookies -Chocolate Espresso Wafers -Pecan Sandies -Toasted Coconut Sables The chapter on Hand-Shaped Cookies includes recipes for: -Pecan Butterballs -Hazelnut Biscotti -Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti -Orange Poppy Seed Drops -Molasses Ginger Cookies -Chocolate Crinkles -Chocolate Peppermint Cookies -Swedish Dreams -Viennese Crescents -Peanut Butter Chocolate Kisses -Italian Wine Cookies The chapter on Filled and Sandwich Cookies includes recipes for: -Baby Butter and Jam Sandwiches -Chocolate Almond Macaroon Sandwiches -Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints -Linzer Cookies -Fig Half-Moons The chapter on Bar Cookies includes recipes for: -Apricot Almond Bars -Baci Brownies -Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Squares -Almond Thins -Peanut Brittle Bars -Chocolate Shortbread Wedges -Sachertorte Bars -Lemon Squares -Toffee Bars -Turtle Bars The chapter on No-Bake Treats includes recipes for: -Rocky Road Bites -Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares -Chocolate Hearts -Rum Balls Each recipe includes the projected yield (usually between 35-55 cookies) but not nutritional information. There are two helpful lists at the back of the book (in addition to the index). The first lists recipes by flavor (chocolate, vanilla, citrus, coconut, spice, nut, butter/sugar, fruit/jam, caramel/toffee and rum). The second list has three categories: cookies without nuts, quick and easy, and make-ahead and freeze cookie dough. There is also a list of the best cookies for mailing on page 9. Since there seem to be conflicting opinions among other reviewers regarding the photos, I counted them (twice). 25 of the 50 cookie recipes include a color photo, and the majority of the photos are larger than half a page and give the reader a clear idea of what the finished cookie should look like. This would be a good gift for a college student or perhaps as a housewarming gift (particularly if you add a few cookie cutters and cookie sheets). Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie? Is it made of chocolate or spice? Is it an iced and decorated sugar cookie or a molasses ginger round? Or maybe it's a crisp, chocolate-covered toffee bar or a jam-filled Linzer sandwich cookie. There are so many choices! Christmas cookies are loved for their special shapes, cheery colors, and seasonal flavors. They bring joy to our gatherings, help preserve the magic and tradition of the holiday season, and make heart-warming gifts. Christmas Cookies offers fifty wonderful recipes for holiday treats, such as light-as-air Cocoa Meringue Kisses, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies that perfectly complement a mug of hot chocolate, sweet-tart Iced Lemon Rounds, the much-beloved classic Pecan Sandies, Ginger Coins with the right amount of snap, and many, many more. Avid holiday baker Lisa Zwirn baked hundreds of cookies to come up with these fabulous fifty recipes. There is something for everyone: treats for chocoholics, holiday shapes that children will love (that can be baked and decorated by the little ones, too), luxurious sandwich cookies, and plenty of spiced rounds, buttery wafers, and decadent bars. Christmas Cookies will also show you how to make the most of your time in the kitchen with these useful tips and ideas: Cookie baking guidelines for successful baking Options for freezing dough so you can bake cookies when the mood strikes Storage suggestions to help keep treats fresh for as long as possible Child-friendly recipes, such as Peanut Butter Chocolate Kisses, Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints, Gingerbread People, and Molasses Ginger Cookies, which are easy and fun for beginners The best cookies to mail and how to wrap them How to host a holiday cookie swap and cookie-decorating party Whether you've baked Christmas cookies for years or are just starting a tradition of holiday baking, you'll find all the recipes you need right here. Christmas Cookies is an essential collection for the cookie baker, featuring color photographs, clear, detailed recipes, and irrepressible Christmas spirit. The basics of cookie making Giving cookies Holiday cookie parties Key ingredients for the cookie baker Key tools for the cookie baker Drop cookies Rolled cookies Slice and bake cookies Hand-shaped cookies Filled and sandwich cookies Bar cookies No-bake treats Recipes by flavor A few more lists. From basic sugar cookies to decadent chocolate treats, 50 easy-to-make recipes for holiday cookies can be enjoyed any time of the year. Bakers will find beloved classics as well as new recipes for sure to become family favorites