Cookies Are Magic: Classic Cookies, Brownies, Bars, and More

by Maida Heatter, Deb Perelman (Foreword by)

Overview

Whether you are a chocolate chip or an old-fashioned gingersnap, this is the only cookie book you'll ever need — from one of the best bakers of all time.

Maida Heatter is one of the most trusted and beloved cookbook authors of all time. Her recipes, each a modern classic, have inspired extraordinary bakers such as Dorie Greenspan, Christina Tosi, and Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman, whose foreword introduces the joy of Maida's cookies to a new generation.

Maida knew that cookies are the key to happiness, and she always kept them nearby: a fudgy, minty Palm Beach Brownie in her purse, neatly wrapped in cellophane, a batch of Absolutely-the-Positively-Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the freezer, or a box of delicate brandy snaps ready for an elegant gift.

Now, Cookies Are Magic collects nearly 100 of Maida's very best recipes from her "legendary" (New York Times) 50-year career-her crispiest, crunchiest, and most ooey-gooey cookies, bars, and more.

Developed for foolproof baking by anyone, each recipe is written with Maida's warm but no-nonsense instructions and carries her guarantee that it will work perfectly every time. Filled with classic sugar cookies, tart lemon bars, cookie kisses, and chocolate and peanut butter ripples, this is the only cookie book you will ever need.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316460187
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	462,716
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Maida Heatter (1916-2019), dubbed "the Queen of Cake" by Saveur, was the author of several classic books on dessert and baking. Her most recent book, Happiness is Baking, was published when she was 102 years old. Heatter was the recipient of three James Beard Foundation awards and inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame.

Editorial Reviews

02/17/2020

“My philosophy is that cookies are fun—pure, simple fun,” writes the late Heatter (Queen of Cake) in her indispensable collection of cookie recipes. Heatter, who died in 2019, affirms that she tested each of the recipes “over and over,” and this is clearly reflected in her thorough, easy-to-follow, instructions (“If the foil does not peel away easily, the cookies have not baked long enough,” she writes for her praline wafers). The mostly classic recipes range from drop cookies and bar cookies, such as chocolate chip cookies and cream cheese brownies, to icebox cookies and rolled cookies, such as pinwheels and rugelach. Additional sections include hand-formed cookies like chocolate pepper pretzels, as well as savory baked goods such as corn melba crackers. Readers will appreciate fun facts about some of the recipes (she writes that the blind date cookies “originated over 100 years ago... in Milwaukee”) as well as storage tips (“I freeze almost all cookies in plastic freezer boxes”). Unfortunately, the book contains no photographs of the cookies, but the whimsical illustrations by Alice Oehr are a nice addition. Bakers of all levels will find plenty to enjoy in Heatter’s thorough volume. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Whenever someone tells me they want to start baking, I tell them to turn to Maida Heatter.” —Dorie Greenspan

“Everything I know about baking I learned from Maida Heatter… it’s as if she’s standing beside you in the kitchen, encouraging you as you go along.”—Martha Stewart Living

“Maida Heatter is the fairy godmother of anything sweet, spicy, crunchy, chewy, or fluffy that you could possibly imagine baking.”—Wolfgang Puck

“The Queen of Cake… Maida’s goal is a perfect dessert every time—and she wants those who follow her recipes to achieve the same end.” —Saveur

“Doyenne of desserts, queen of cookies, sultana of sweets… People love to bake Maida Heatter recipes… producing luscious creations that almost invariably bring grown men and women to their knees.”—New York Times

“Her recipes (and Maida herself) are known for their precision; each step is integral, each ingredient intentional… you need to read her cookbooks, and bake from them.” —Food52

 “There are no secrets. Maida Heatter is in your kitchen corner. The conversation is easy to follow, and you pick it up whenever you crack open one of her books… Most important, Heatter has recipes for everyone.” —Chicago Tribune

“I feel as if I am standing alongside her… I often find myself laughing out loud as I read her anecdotes about her successes and her failures … What beginners can expect from Maida’s book is an extremely high success rate.”—Nancy Silverton

"A phenomenon."—Washington Post

From the Publisher

04/01/2020

In this collection, readers are treated to an enticing collection of Heatter's best-loved cookie recipes. Packaged in the same whimsically illustrated style as Chocolate Is Forever, this title highlights a range of cookie styles including drop, bar, icebox, rolled, and hand formed. Heatter delights in sharing "secret" chef recipes as well as traditional American favorites such as Joe Froggers, snickerdoodles, and sugar cookies. Heatter promises readers that each recipe will turn out perfectly if her instructions are followed precisely, an exacting demand that will reassure some home bakers but may intimidate those who are less confident in their skills. The cookie illustrations accompanying each recipe are more decorative than descriptive, and some readers will miss the array of detailed photographs typical of modern cookbooks. VERDICT This collection of Heatter's greatest cookie hits is best for confident bakers seeking classic recipes and exacting techniques. Although there is some overlap with the recipes in Happiness Is Baking and Chocolate Is Forever, there is enough new material here to justify its separate purchase, especially in libraries where Heatter and/or cookie recipes are popular.—Kelsy Peterson, Forest Hill Coll., Melbourne, Australia

Library Journal