July 17, 2017
Seasonal favorites such as gingerbread cookies and icebox pinwheel cookies are just two classic standouts in this excellent holiday baking book. Holiday essential peppermint bark finds its home in “Holiday Confections,” as does a sophisticated smoked almond and cacao nub brittle. Favorites spanning the globe—including Austrian linzer augen, South American alfajores, Hungarian kiffles, and Dutch speculaas—make up the “Around the World” chapter and include some time-saving modifications such as directions for making the speculaas sans cookie molds. Tips for cookie-exchange parties and recipes for gingerbread place-card cookies, 3-D Christmas trees, and stained-glass snowflakes all make for great holiday entertaining. Serving suggestions in headnotes—such as adding a scoop of ice cream and fudge sauce to chocolate-peanut-butter-brownie sandwich cookies—can make a cookie go from simple treat to full-on dessert. Full-page color photos display how great that cookie tray can really look this holiday season.
October 15, 2017
Growing up in Sweden, recipe developer and food stylist der Nederlanden established a lifelong passion for baking. Here, she shares 50 of her most-loved holiday cookies and confections, including red velvet crackle cookies, glazed eggnog madeleines, apple cider caramels, and smoked almond and cacao nib brittle. They're attractive and sophisticated, often with a touch of European flair. Home cooks determined to step up their cookie-making this holiday season will find many satisfying choices, along with useful decorating and packaging tips, and a few decorative projects (e.g., gingerbread house, cookie ornaments and place cards, 3-D Christmas trees). VERDICT Concise and balanced, this is an inviting collection with no throwaway recipes. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.