Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Throughout this otherwise lively new collection of wholesome, sophisticated baked goods, Magid uses the word "organic" like a cudgel-seemingly every ingredient is prefaced with the word. Though the term gets tiresome, Magid presents a measured argument for organic eggs, flours and sugars in her creations (though, puzzlingly, she has no problem with food coloring) as well as sourcing suggestions. In 60 recipes, Magid offers up crowd-pleasers like oatmeal raisin cookies and flourless chocolate almond cake, as well as homemade variations on childhood all-stars like Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and Hostess Sno-balls. Grown-ups will swoon over her Lovely Lemon Cake with marshmallow frosting, Minty Strawberry Shortcakes and her Chocolate Love Blossom-a multilayer chocolate cake filled with vanilla whipped cream and/or a red currant curd, and covered with a rich ganache. Though the titles may sound ambitious, most recipes are more than manageable; Magid even includes an easy recipe for no-bake honey peanut dough to keep the kids busy.
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Review

"With this cookbook, Magid upends many conventional recipes, and she offers recipes that promise attractive organic desserts. Her greatest contribution is a handful of cookie and cupcake recipes specifically designed to discourage children's overconsumption of ubiquitous, industrial, mass-produced sweets." (Booklist )

"There's nothing crunchy about these stylish desserts." (New York Times )

"Magid attempts to re-invent the way we think about organic baked goods. Instead of dense, bland nut loaves, she offers Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese-Lemon Zest Frosting, Double Ginger Cookies, and Goldies, her organic take on Twinkies. Magid's style combines vivid colors, delicate details, and a serious dose of whimsy." (Epicurious.com )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (June 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061673587
• ISBN-13: 978-0061673580
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,399 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #42 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Organic Cooking
  #84 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Meals > Sweets

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Cookbook!, July 16, 2009

By	Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

ORGANIC AND CHIC: CAKES, COOKIES, AND OTHER SWEETS THAT TASTE AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK by Sarah Magid is AMAZING! It is absolutely one of the most beautiful cookbooks that I have ever seen. As you can see, the cover photo is just filled with incredible looking desserts; and all of the pictures in the book are just like this. I would actually consider placing this cookbook on my coffee table because it's that gorgeous. Plus, I'd kind of like to have it handy because I really enjoyed looking at all of the recipes and decorating ideas.

Not only is this cookbook filled with beautiful pictures, but there are just loads of yummy-looking recipes. The book starts with recipes for cakes and cupcakes (along with frosting, curds, and filling recipes), then it has a section on cookies and bars, a section on reformed junk food, and one on farmers' market sweets. There is another section that will appeal to a lot of moms titled children's goodies which has easy, cute recipes geared towards little ones. The book ends with a wonderful chapter on Ms. Magid's design techniques along with step-by-step instructions.

I was pleasantly surprised by this cookbook not because of its recipes and photos, but rather because the instructions and explanations were so detailed and clear. The recipes and instructions for decorating were extremely easy-to-follow. Now making my cakes as gorgeous as the ones in the book might be a challenge, but I think that's because of my lack of skill and definitely not the fault of the instructions. And since I am not a regular consumer of organic foods, I loved how Ms. Magid explained the benefits of going organic as well as some name brands for organic baking goods. The last few pages of the cookbook also include explanations of various baking tools and how best to use them. I actually learned a great deal just by reading Ms. Magid's advice.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful and practical too, June 26, 2009

By	falling up (Reading, PA) - See all my reviews

this is a visually appealing book and full of wonderful recipes. I have a list I want to try. I made the ginger cookies last night and come home from work with the crumbs. This book has recipes to WOW and dazzle while some recipes are amazing for their sweet simplicity! Included a helpful tips. She does incorporate whole wheat flour and raw sugar which is a great baby step toward baking with less refined foods!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly Great & Organic, August 5, 2009

By	Ginny Mapes "local history writer" (Hillsboro, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

In the 1960s--70's many of the natural food cookbook recipes resulted in heavy products that I threw in the compost pile. Now many years later with the demand for purer food with less additives, Organic and Chic author Sarah Magid has created some fabulous recipes. When her young son wanted Twinkies, she experimented with recipes to create "junk food gone good." She likes her family to eat organic and encourages readers to support the small farms and local farmers' markets. She includes a guide to buying organic ingredients. Her fantastic recipes include step-by-step decorating instructions and inspiration so even the beginner will want to try "cakes, cookies, and other sweets that taste as good as they look."