Customer Reviews

Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

5 star:		(165)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Each year at Christmas my grandmother would take out about 20 (it seemed) cookie tins and bake until each and every one of those tins were filled with cookies during the winter months and especially near Christmas.

This is also the "cooky" book we had as children. I fondly remember spending hours just looking through this book and wishing the cookies I wanted to make would magically appear on a plate. Soon, I was old enough to cook the Peanut butter Cookies, Russian Teacakes and Candy Cane Cookies. My favorite page as a child was page 56. A page filled with storybook cookies. Painted and iced sugar cookies.

The contents include:

Drop, Bar, Refrigerator, Rolled, Pressed and Molded Cookies.

Holiday Cookies for Valentine's Day, St. Patricks's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

Cookies for Children, Lunchbox treats, Cookies that will travel, Heritage cookies, Cookies for Special Diets.

Brownies, Date Bars, Ginger Cookies, Cookies made from mixes

Teatime Cookies, Cookies for a Crowd, Confections

Best Cookies

In this cookbook, they say you can use either the traditional or the sifting method. We always used the traditional dip and sweep method for measuring the flour. Then, on the next page they explain why your cookie dough might be too soft. I've always found this rather amusing, since you see...if you use the sifting method, you will possibly not have enough flour, at least in my mind. Most cookbooks say to use one OR the
other method.

Some of the cookies you might enjoy:

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies
Butterscotch Brownies
Holiday Spritz
Snickerdoodles
Christmas Bells
Cream Wafers
Nougat Bars

Definitely a collectable Betty Crocker Cookbook.

~The Rebecca Review

My mom gave me her copy of Betty Crocker's Cooky Book when I got married. The book is literally falling apart -- the back cover is no longer attached, but still sits in the bookshelf next to the rest of the book.

This would make a wonderful gift for anyone who likes to bake. It's full of great recipes, some of which I've made so many times that I know them by heart.

If you like to bake cookies, buy this book. You won't be disappointed!

The Cooky Book should never, ever, EVER be out of print. It's a classic and belongs on the shelf with The Joy of Cooking. When I was a kid, and everyone was poor, we had a friend who baked cookies every Christmas and showed up with a big box for my sister and me. We thought it was the best present we had ever received and waited with bated breath for each year's box. When The Cooky Book was published, there were our favorite recipes: date bars (by far the best recipe I've ever found), Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian tea cakes, Chocolate Crinkles, Lemon Squares, Snickerdoodles. . . the list goes on and on and on.

So I've put in my order for the children who now have children of their own. With luck, they may start their own traditions.

When I was doing my holiday shopping, I was overjoyed to see that Betty Crocker's Cooky Book had been reprinted for the 2002 holiday season. Betty Crocker's Cooky Book was originally printed in 1963. Yes, it's cooky, not today's cookie.

The 2002 reprint includes only two short paragraphs of introduction on the title page. The new paragraphs provide warnings about today's ingredients and food safety concerns. They encourage you to ask your mother or grandmother how to make them if you don't understand the ingredients or the recipes. What a great way to share a family heritage, by baking cookies together!

The cookbook is divided into 6 sections: Cooky Primer, Holiday Cookies, Family Favorites, Quick `N Easy Cookies, Company Best Cookies, and Betty Crocker's Best Cookies. The Cooky Primer section includes instructions on how to "measure flour by dipping," Necessary Utensils (including a "rotary egg beater"), Baking Hints, and a Q&A section which covers self-rising flour, correcting cooky dough, and how to prevent soft cooky dough.

The Cooky Primer section includes a color picture at the bottom of each page, showing the finished cookies and brownies. On page 11 of the Cooky Primer is a recipe for Butterscotch Brownies. This recipe is my husband's favorite. All the recipe calls for is butter, brown sugar, an egg, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and walnuts. This brownie recipe spells out the secret to baking perfect brownies: "Do not overbake!". My Uncle Glen is a commercial chef, and he taught me that little gem at the precocious age of 10. These brownies have a wonderful butterscotch flavor, and come out of the oven chewy and golden brown.

In the Heritage Cookies section, I baked the Old-Fashioned Sour Cream cookies on page 79. This recipe is a little more complex, it calls for shortening, sugar, an egg, vanilla, flour, baking powder, soda (that's baking soda, not tonic), salt, nutmeg, and "commercial sour cream." These little cookies retain their shape beautifully, without using parchment paper! Their delicate texture is accented with a touch of nutmeg, making them a wonder for lovers of spice cakes. One batch made 53 individual cookies.

The authors truly saved the best for last with this cookbook. The final section, Betty Crocker's Best Cookies, features favorite cookie recipes over time. Betty Crocker's time begins with Hermits from 1880! Starting with 1880, the cookie recipes move in 10-year increments. For example, 1890-1900 Cinnamon Jumbles. 1920-1930 Brownies. 1930-1935 Molasses Crinkles. These heritage recipes are accented by historical highlights and humorous anecdotes such as "the first brownies were a fallen chocolate cake." This section is made for cookbook lovers of all ages. If you ever wondered what children ate for cookies in 1900 when they got home from school, you'll find your answer here. Cinnamon Jumbles!

I've had a copy of the original Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, 3rd printing since 1966. I use it almost exclusively when baking cookies - it has all the favorites we grew up with! Pictures of each cookie are included and all recipes are fast and easy. An exact copy (same printing) went for big $$ on e-Bay. I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I highly recommend this cookbook to all cookie lovers, especially now when it's back in print and you can get your own new "original."

I have the original version of this book and thru almost 28 years of marriage it has served me well! Early on, my copy got wet. The cover is warped and it isn't very pretty, but it's still the one I use time after time. Every kitchen needs a copy of this classic, especially if there are little ones around! There is no better book to use to teach them the basics of cookie baking......and all Moms need to take time to make cookies with their kids!

I grew up on the cookies my Mom made from this book. They are marvelous! When I was a teen, I got my own copy in paperback, for $3.95. 30 years later, I'm looking forward to getting a spiral bound book since mine is falling apart. Three all-time favorites are Plantation Date Bars, Butterscotch Brownies, and Raisin-filled Cookies. There are so many very good recipes, especially ones with chocolate. And often, there are details on the origin and lore of a particular type of cookie. I'm not put off by the use of shortening, as is called for (and commented on by another reviewer). Using shortening does in fact serve a purpose without being a flavorful component, and is therefor not a shortcoming of the cookie collection (in my grandmother's day, she used lard). But if one decides to substitute, there's always butter-flavored Crisco, or butter and oil. But for the most part, I ask why? Cookies are delicacies not a staple, not diet food. Live a little and have fun making yummy cookies from a wonderful-to-look-at book!

I grew up with this book and have my mother's original copy. It is completely falling apart from her use and mine. I have several other cookie cookbooks and they do not even come close.

The Christmas selection, in particular, is quite good. The candy cane cookies are always a big hit with everyone I make them for. They are so easy, yet everyone is so fascinated with them.

The main recipe I grew up with from this book is Snickerdoodles. Until recently I couldn't even find anyone outside my family who knew what they were...the most delicious cookie known to man and this recipe makes the perfect snickerdoodle. You'll never want to have store bought again after you make them.

Actually, if you make any of these recipes you'll have a hard time going back to Oreos and Pepperidge Farms. :-)

I got this book in my Christmas stocking when I was a kid. It was my first cookbook. It is still my favorite. I still have my stained original copy but it fell apart years ago. This cookie book has all the classic cookies. It also has a collection of holiday cookie recipes from other countries. I'm so excited to be able to own a new one!

This is a treasure trove of wonderful cookie recipes. Pecan crispies are light and elegant. Thumbprint, Russian teacake, meringues and sugar cookies are holiday favorites. Shamrock cookies become witches' fingers for Halloween with just omission of food coloring and a different rolling technique. Almond butter, French lace, nut crunch cookies. Of course, there are hundreds more--your favorites, no doubt! I recommend buying this book if you bake, or if you hope to. But I will add, it's not the "original" Betty Crocker cookie book. My mother has that--from the 30's or 40's I think, smaller and with fewer recipes, but awesome. This version has vivid color photographs so you can drool--or occupy your kids with just visuals--while you consider what to make next!