In the 1990’s there was a stream of cookbooks by the team of Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey. They were authors, friends, and life partners. Tragically, Barry died of lung cancer in 2001. But the legacy of this team remains and the gem is this book, The Complete Cookie published in 1996.
If you made a list of the Top 10 cookie books, The Complete Cookie would appear there. Maybe twice.
I’ll post, over the next few days, a couple of outstanding recipes from the book. Good cookies, perfect cookies: a cocoa wafer that is soft and even chewy and an oatmeal-cinnamon swirl that is flavored filled and even a little healthy.
The Complete Cookie is filled with recipe ideas that are intriguing as you read them. They are easily made and the cookies come out flawlessly. These recipes have been tested, refined, and perfected. Here’s my personal shopping list of recipes to try:
Apricot Linzer Cookies
Better Than Girl Scout Chocolate Mint Cookies
Black Tarts
Brown Sugar Logs Rolled in Cinnamon and Nuts
Cappuccino-Filled Hazelnut Sandwich
Cappuccino Cream Cheese Bars
Caramel Meringue-Filled Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
Cognac Dreams with Cognac Frosting
Devil’s Food Cookies
Java Jive Mocha Snaps
Molasses Spice Refrigerator Cookies
Pear Caramel Bars
Three Layer Brownies with Mint and Chocolate Frostings
White Russians with Kahlua
So many ideas! You’ll find the usual chapters here. Bars, drop and refrigerator cookies dominate. There’s a wonderful section on frosting and fillings.
You could, could, live with just this one cookie book alone. Of course, we cookie lovers would never do that. But, if you try this book, I’m sure you will decide you could never live without it.
Twenty years have not demined one recipe here. Look for a copy.