The Illustrated Cookie ~ Piet Halberstadt

For what is essentially a book about biscuits, this book doesn't have loads of recipes. What it does have though is loads of idea's and information about making your plain old cookie dough into something more. That's not to say there aren't some good recipes, with Butterscotch refridgerator cookies, Gingerbread cookies and Olga's mother's almond macaroons, however the focus of the book is as much about how to roll and press and mould and decorate cookies as it is on providing a multitude of recipes.


I find it quite telling that this book was published in New York, as the word 'Cookie' really brings two things to my mind - first is Cookie Monster, and the second is the Black and White cookie featured in a Seinfeld episode. I think this cookbook would suit an American audience where shaped, cut and decorated biscuits would be more the norm - I tend to think of the Australian biscuit-goer as more varied in their tastes and less meticulous in their presentation (no Australian biscuit cookbook would seem complete without Anzacs). Still, there is definitely plenty to keep me satisfied in the book, and I'd happily chomp away on one of the citrus variations of the Rich basic dough cookie, perhaps topped off with some Cream cheese icing. Not bad at all.

Recommended for cookie lovers.

- Kath