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Book Review: 'Dorie's Cookies'

Claudia Ficca

Bakers everywhere are united in their endorsement of Dorie Greenspan as the grande dame of baking cookbooks. 

She has won four James Beard awards, and cookbook of the year--twice--from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Her books inspire both beginning and experienced bakers to mix various colors of flour or chocolate with some bonding oil--either low or high fat--to pop in an oven everywhere. And the results are in; each cookie is a delicious treat enjoyed by everyone, regardless of political, professional, cultural or sexual persuasion. Greenspan’s experience has more than qualified her to write her 12th book; it’s one she has wanted to write since she began her cookbook career in 1991. This piece de resistance is simply entitled Dorie's Cookies

The chocolaty fudgy looking cookie gracing the cover of the 400 odd page book is the “World Peace Cookie.” The dough is described as capricious and a tad hard to handle. For each cookie, it is essential to read the two pages of background two times before diving in; like boning up on policy rather than launching into a quick fix without understanding possible outcomes. We also learn how to store the dough and are given tips for creatively satisfying more nuanced palates. 

You’ll be inspired by the chapter of cocktail cookies, each one savory and some filled with buttery and cheesy goodness--nuts are an option. And the chapters with everyday cookies, bar cookies, present myriad options for challenging occasions.

As Julia Child, one of Dorie Greenspan’s cooking teachers, once noted, “You are the boss of that dough.”  And sometimes we just need to be the boss of the situation. Well said, Julia, I think I’ll grab my new cookbook, change into my kitchen pant-suit and spend the next few, um, I don’t know, days, years? baking cookies.