Amazon.com Review
Christmas Is Cookies , from the Everyday Cookbook series by Time-Life Books, is more than its title suggests. It is actually a collection of over a hundred favorite American desserts including pies, puddings, cakes and candies as well as cookies. The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow. Unfortunately, there is no pepper in the German Pfeffernusse or Swedish Paperkakor, but most recipes are nice, middle-of the-road versions of familiar sweets. This book, with its perky design, is a good gift for a someone starting a shelf of basic cookbooks or for a teenager just starting to bake.
From Publishers Weekly
December is cookies in the Everyday Cookbook series (Wednesday Is Spaghetti; Monday Is Meatloaf). There's not much here that can't be found in the old standards like Joy of Cooking or Fannie Farmer, but then it's hard to turn away from such homey favorites as Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs, Pfeffernusse, Snickerdoodles and Jam Thumbprints wherever you find them. Cakes, pies and puddings, candy, quick breads and coffee cakes are also represented. Some treats, like dried fruit-studded Dundee Cake, Plum Pudding and Sweet Potato Pie, have been gracing holiday tables for generations; others may have slipped out of vogue but deserve a fresh glance (minty Grasshopper Pie or Raspberry Cheesecake on a chocolate cookie crust). The editors stick to their measuring with little chat, but a few caveats are in order. Some lists of ingredients are difficult to follow, since there's no distinction made between those used for a pie crust, for example, and those for the filling. The tip that dough rolls out more successfully when chilled comes eight recipes after it's needed for Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs. Just the facts may be just fine for everyday cooking, but holidays demand a more expansive approach.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
