Well, this is not just another cookie book. This is THE COOKIE BOOK. If you buy one cookie book a year, this is the one.
The subtitle is “The Sandwich Cookie Book.” I know, people think sandwich cookies are a pain. You have to make cookies, let them cool, then make a filling, then spread it and … It takes time.
But, let’s not be hypocrites. Have you ever, ever turned down an Oreo?
There are 65 recipes for cookies in this book. Suzi and I have made four so far and I truly believe we will work our way through the entire book, one sandwich at a time. Here’s that latest one we made:
This Coffee Lover’s Cookie was blogged this week. The blog lives, the cookies are gone, eaten with relish. Our dilemma is this: bake this these again, or turn to another recipe?
The recipes fall into six chapters:
- Oldies But Goodies
- For the Love of Chocolate
- The Cool Cookies
- Tart and Tangy
- Cookies with Kick
- Cocktail Cookies
But wait, there’s more. The seventh chapter is 33 recipes for The Fillings. Here you’ll find good friends, like Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Ganache. But you explore new territory with Espresso Buttercream, Peanut Butter Mouse, and Whipped Herb Cream Cheese. Don’t worry, that last one goes on cocktail cookies, not the chocolate ones. The pairings of cookies and fillings are superb, and, as a bonus, author Heather Mubarak supplies filling Mix and Match options for each cookie.
In a rush? No time to make the sandwich? Well, each of the cookies on its own is delicious so you can just make them and imagine what a sandwich might taste like.
Let’s turn to the cookies themselves. The variety here is stunningly delicious. The very first cookie in the book is a Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie turned sandwich by layering in vanilla buttercream. There is a Peanut Butter Cookie with Peanut Buter Mousse topped with chocolate ganache. And S’mores Cookies with Toasted Marshmallow Filling.
The For the Love of Chocolate cookies include that one pictured earlier, the Coffee Lover’s Cookie layered with Espresso Buttercream. Here’s the Double Mint Chocolate Cookie Sandwich we tested. We will be serving these again for Christmas. It’s a celebration in mint and chocolate.
The Cool Cookies are ice cream sandwiches to make you forgive how hot summer has been or will be again. Ideas here include:
- Brown Sugar Scotchies with Cinnamon Ice Cream
- Banana Split Ice Cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Brown Butter Toffee Walnut Cookies with Bourbon Ice Cream
Suzi and I are devotes of citrus flavors so the Tart and Tangy chapter is abundant with tantalizing ideas:
- Key Lime Pie Sandwich Cookies
- Orange Butter Cookies with Chocolate Ganache
- Vanilla Bean Shortbread with Guava Buttercream
Cookies with a Kick seem destined for this fall’s holiday meals:
- Maple Shortbread with Vanilla Bean Butter Cream
- Gingerbread Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
- Spiced Chocolate Cookies with Dulce de Leche
And then there are the cocktail cookies. For appetizers with a difference, Suzi likes to offer up cheese wafers, something with Parmesan bite. Here the recipes take that concept to a scrumptously higher level:
- Rosemary Pine Nut Sables with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Cornbread Cookies with Oney Mascarpone
- Blue Cheese and Walnut Cookies with fig Preserves.
Stuffed has two major characteristics. First, the recipes are delightfully different. Some are just a variation, chocolate chip cookies glued together with vanilla buttercream. And some ideas are dramatically new, like the Cornbread Cookies with Honey Mascarpone.
And the second characteristic is key: these are expertly created and written recipes. They work. They work flawlessly. Just read the recipe — maybe even before you start! — , follow it carefully, and enjoy the time you spent creating a cookie masterpiece.
This isn’t a good book. It is a great book. You’ll be smiling. And reaching for just one more. And then, another. Go get Stuffed.