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New cookie books for Christmas

post #1 of 17
7/15/09 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
There are some new cookie books coming out just in time for Christmas!

Cookie Craft Christmas: Dozens of Decorating Ideas for a Sweet Holiday by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer, $12.95, Workman, ISBN-10: 1603424407
http://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Craft-Christmas-Decorating-Holiday/dp/1603424407/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247697285&sr=1-2

The Flour Pot Christmas Cookie Book: Creating Edible Works of Art for the Holidays by Margie and Abbey Greenberg, $16.95, Running Pr., ISBN-10: 0762435542
http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Pot-Christmas-Cookie-Book/dp/0762435542/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

This one is already out.
Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year by Julia M. Usher, pbk, $19.99, Gibbs Smith, ISBN-10: 1423603788
http://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Swap-Creative-Treats-Throughout/dp/1423603788/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
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post #2 of 17
7/15/09 at 7:47pm
Thanks for the heads up on those.

They all look great, especially the Cookie Craft one!
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post #3 of 17
7/19/09 at 2:27pm
Thanks for the heads up! I'm still waiting for Peggy Porschen's new book to come out (Cake Chic)! icon_biggrin.gif
To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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post #4 of 17
7/20/09 at 4:04pm
They all look wonderful. How exciting. I am going to order all 3. Of course, there are a lot of amazing cookies on CC, too. That's good because I am not at all creative and I need lots of inspiration. Thank you for letting us know about the new books.
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post #5 of 17
7/22/09 at 5:56am
I knew that The Flour Pot had a new one coming out, but didn't know about the others. I'm adding all three to my amazon wish list. Thanks!
I'm better than I deserve! - Dave Ramsey
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I'm better than I deserve! - Dave Ramsey
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post #6 of 17
7/22/09 at 10:25am
I wish I had the discipline to put these on my Christmas list and wait to receive them as gifts, but I've a feeling I'll be buying them myself as soon as they are available! Thanks for posting!
The pessimist complains about the wind;
the optimist expects it to change;
the realist adjusts the sails.
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The pessimist complains about the wind;
the optimist expects it to change;
the realist adjusts the sails.
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post #7 of 17
7/22/09 at 5:36pm
I bought Cookie Swap today!!! At first I wasn't too thrilled with it BUT when I got home and looked more closely it wasn't as bad as I first thought, although there are several critiques I could make on it (which I won't.) My advice for anyone considering that book is to have Barnes and Noble order it for you first then look at it before you buy it -- you're not obligated to buy it like that. Just a heads up for y'all! icon_biggrin.gif
To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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post #8 of 17
7/23/09 at 12:32pm
JULIA USHER'S book, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year is MAGNIFICANT! I am thrilled to be an owner of a wonderfully artistic and amazing book! I have already tried to "copy" the summer cookies and had fun with them! Of course mine aren't as beautiful or meticulously made as Julia's but what fun I had making them.

This book is a great book for beginners to more advanced bakers! The time that must have gone into this book is simply amazing! My hats off to Julia! CAN'T WAIT FOR ANOTHER BOOK, as I am HOPING to see someday sooner than later!!! thumbs_up.gif [/b]
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post #9 of 17
7/23/09 at 12:33pm
JULIA USHER'S book, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year is MAGNIFICANT! I am thrilled to be an owner of a wonderfully artistic and amazing book! I have already tried to "copy" the summer cookies and had fun with them! Of course mine aren't as beautiful or meticulously made as Julia's but what fun I had making them.

This book is a great book for beginners to more advanced bakers! The time that must have gone into this book is simply amazing! My hats off to Julia! CAN'T WAIT FOR ANOTHER BOOK, as I am HOPING to see someday sooner than later!!! thumbs_up.gif [/b]
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post #10 of 17
7/24/09 at 9:07am
My issue with Usher's book is there are tons of ways to display cookies in it (that seems to be her focus) but many of the cookies are not given any instruction. How did she do the owl cookie (which appears on the front cover but nowhere in the book.) icon_confused.gif The cookie trees? Was that royal icing or chocolate she used to flood the cookie with? What kind of cookie did she use and why?? Nothing but a picture of them appears in the book with no explanation at all. The gingerbread wreath was cool but there were no templates in the back of the book to follow and the dimensions she gave there are no cutters for. (She does say to use a oval cake pan but for those of us who don't feel like purchasing the Wilton set that really doesn't get it.) And I couldn't for the life of me figure out her instructions on the beach ball and lemon slice cookies. I'm still scratching my head over those. The pictures of the cookies that did have instructions were clear across the book -- for example the candy corn cookies are detailed on page 122 with a picture of the final product on page 109. icon_confused.gif It just got a little crazy flipping through the book trying to find if I had missed something or not. On the good side though she has some beautiful design styles (ala Toba-esque and Peggy Porschen-ish) she uses and she has great use of color. Who would have thought moss green and gold for snowflakes? Beautiful!! Her witches fingers were downright scary (looked a little too real to me!) icon_biggrin.gif And I confess she has me intrigued with the wafer paper thing now. So like I said, you may want to look before buying (and if you're anything like me, buy anyway)! icon_lol.gif
To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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post #11 of 17
7/27/09 at 2:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2009dreamit

JULIA USHER'S book, Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year is MAGNIFICANT! I am thrilled to be an owner of a wonderfully artistic and amazing book! I have already tried to "copy" the summer cookies and had fun with them! Of course mine aren't as beautiful or meticulously made as Julia's but what fun I had making them.

This book is a great book for beginners to more advanced bakers! The time that must have gone into this book is simply amazing! My hats off to Julia! CAN'T WAIT FOR ANOTHER BOOK, as I am HOPING to see someday sooner than later!!! thumbs_up.gif [/b]


icon_confused.gif Gee, you'd think you wrote the book. icon_lol.gif Sadly, I wasn't as "thrilled" with it as you were.


I definitely have to agree with you, BWB! Very pretty displays (gorgeous photography), but I think it's inconsistent at best. Sorry, but I don't get the cookie swap year round (and yes I read her story about her first swap) but it still doesn't make any sense. A swap lessons the burden but still gives you a nice variety of cookies for gifts. Why would you have a cookie swap for a bridal shower??? Plus, for a book about cookie swaps there is no information about how to host a swap. You'll get better info for that at holiday time from the BH&G Christmas Cookie magazine put out each year.

The lack of any templates is annoying. The oval Bob mentions had scallops so a pan isn't gonna help even if you're willing to put out the money and yes, that would've been fun to try. The haunted house is cute, but you have to "draw your own" replica. Didn't care for the layout -- some light blue type or the busy look of all the information on each page. If you're a beginner -- this book is not for you. It has beautiful ideas, but unfortunately not much in the way of instruction. The focus was definitely on grand displays.

I think it would have been better titled, Cookiescapes (or something along those lines.) If you do sweet tables -- this book is excellent for that sort of thing. Party ideas, too. Loved the "wedding cake" boxes.

Several recipes did look really good. The pumpkin cookies were too cute and the thumbprints with WC hazelnut ganache sound yummy!

It's definitely good for ideas. I just wish it had more content.


For those of you wanting/ needing more instruction the following books are much, much better:

Creative Cookies: Delicious Decorating for Any Occasion by Toba Garrett
Cookie Craft: From Baking to Luster Dust, Designs ... by Valerie Peterson
Cookie Decorating by Autumn Carpenter (avail at Country Kitchen)
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post #12 of 17
7/27/09 at 6:22am
Ha ha ha ha!! Honey I thought she wrote the book too! icon_lol.gif Folks, it's not that Cookie Swap is a bad book, it's really not. But there are so many cookie books out there that surpass it. But to each is own! icon_biggrin.gif I will say I'm looking forward to trying the candy corn cookies! icon_razz.gif
To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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To find "THE RECIPE LINKS ARE HERE" thread, click on "Forums", then "Recipes" and it's the first sticky. Latest updates are on (the bottom of) page 10 here: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-625803-135.html
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post #13 of 17
7/28/09 at 2:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobwonderbuns

... Folks, it's not that Cookie Swap is a bad book, it's really not. But there are so many cookie books out there that surpass it. ... I will say I'm looking forward to trying the candy corn cookies! icon_razz.gif


Exactly. It does have many good points, but I just wanted people to know it's not for beginners or those needing more instruction. It is great for ideas.

I appreciate any books on decorating cookies. They are so few and far between. It's a catch-22 -- if you don't buy the books they put out they won't publish any more. So I do want to be supportive, but I'd like to see better products.

Loved the way she made those candy corn cookies, too. Really, really want to try the pumpkin cookies.
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post #14 of 17
7/30/09 at 2:29am
Thread Starter 
icon_redface.gificon_redface.gificon_redface.gificon_redface.gif
Where are my manners??!!

2009dreamit, I would like to apologize for not extending a CC welcome. You are new to this site and I jumped in and didn't even note that you were a newcomer. We are actually a very friendly bunch here in our little "cookie corner" of CC. You will find folks will go out of their way to answer questions and offer encouragement. Please don't hold my lack of grace against anyone here -- I'm usually a bit more amiable. icon_biggrin.gif


I do stand by my opinion of Cookie Swap. Never thought it was a bad book -- neither did Bob -- and we both bought and recommended it (with some reservations.) I'm glad you found it so very helpful.
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post #15 of 17
7/30/09 at 5:10am
I trust the opinions of Honeydukes and bobwonderbuns, and I appreciate their thoughts on "Cookie Swap". I'll be heading off to the bookstore this weekend, and I will be curious to see what I think of the book. I LOVE looking at cookie decorating books, and it's always a thrill to find a new one. As Honeydukes mentioned, they are few and far between! For me, there couldn't be a more perfect Christmas or birthday gift than a cookie decorating book...flaws and all.
The pessimist complains about the wind;
the optimist expects it to change;
the realist adjusts the sails.
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The pessimist complains about the wind;
the optimist expects it to change;
the realist adjusts the sails.
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