Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars: Super-Fast, Made-from-Scratch Sweets, Treats, and Desserts

by Dorothy Kern

Master cookie basics, then expand your repertoire with over 85 crave-worthy yet easy-to-prepare recipes for both classic and inventive sweet treats, each with its own mouthwatering photo.

Author Dorothy Kern is one of the most trusted and widely read baking bloggers on Earth—and with good reason. Her tested-to-perfection recipes are simple to make, delectable, and full of creative new flavor ideas. In Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars, she shares her recipes and baking secrets so you, too, can make scrumptiously delicious cookies that everyone loves.

Dorothy outlines the rules for successful cookie baking, provides an overview of key ingredients and tools, and offers expert tips on how to store baked things so they stay fresh for a long time. What’s more, she guides you in taking your cookie skills in new directions, into the delectable world of brownies (lots of different kinds of brownies!), blondies, shortbreads, shortcakes, cookie cakes, and more.

The recipes, warmed with Dorothy’s personal stories and memories, include cookies that range from traditional favorites to all-new concepts:

• Seriously the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies
• The Great Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
• Nana’s Drop Sugar Cookies
• Slice and Bake Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

Beyond the cookies, you’ll love the recipes for:

• Bacon and Caramel Brownies
• Brown Butter Pecan Blondies
• Ultimate Peanut Butter Bars
• Birthday Cookie Cake
• Fruit Tart Cookie Cups

…among tons of other delicious crowd-pleasers. Your family and friends will be thrilled with the results—and so will you.

It’s the definitive book on cookies—and so much fun to use!

• ISBN10: 0760372810
• ISBN13: 9780760372814
• Publish Date: 15 February 2022 (first published 1 February 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Harvard Common Press,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars is a well curated and fun dessert cookbook with recipes developed by Dorothy Kern. Due out 1st Feb 2022 from Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The layout is appealing and unfussy - both easy to understand and accessible. The introduction includes a simple pantry list along with a good basic equipment list for stocking a working home kitchen. The recipes are arranged by category: cookie jar cookies, brownies, blondies & bars, cookie cakes & skillet bakes, crazy (exotic) cookies, sandwich and stuffed cookies, no bake, and even some pet approved cookies. I didn't feel any of them were unachievable in my very basic home kitchen and all the recipes we tried were delicious. Nearly all the recipes do contain some combination of butter, eggs, and milk, so they're not vegan as written and will take some experimentation to make them so.

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American measurements with standard (metric) in parentheses (yayyy!). Nutritional information not included, and it's probably a good thing - a lot of these recipes are decadent and so delicious. Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in sidebars with the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made with easily sourced ingredients. Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex. The book does include an index.

The photography is clear and abundant; almost all of the recipes are illustrated, and the photographs which are included are crisp and well done. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

This is a large collection of recipes and even allowing for the fact that some of them are similar to others in the same category, this will keep cookie fans going for ages. These range from simple "everyday" recipes to fancier desserts for social gatherings, parties, and special occasions. We tried several dishes and all of them were tasty and well written.

We're definitely going to try more of these. Well written book, tasty treats.

Four and a half stars. This is a solid recipe book which will be used. Many of these recipes are destined to become family favorites and regulars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.