Christmas Therapy

Christmas is coming. As usual, I suggest a little light baking: therapeutic for the baker, not expensive, and relished by the recipient—what more can one ask? And there is a splendid new book by Maida Heatter, called The Book of Great Cookies, a truthful title indeed. It is published by Knopf and priced at $10. Just to give you an idea of the wonderful, wonderful nibbles, you’ll find six variations on the classic brownie, Plain Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Austrian Walnut Crescents, Fudge Délices (buttery shells filled with baked-in chocolate), macaroons, marzipan bars, rum-raisin shortbread, The Farmer’s Wife Pecan Cookies, and Santa Fe Chocolate Wafers. The recipes are extremely clear, as you will see from the example below. And in a special section, she gives a number of professional baking tricks—for more than ten years, she baked all the desserts, cakes, and cookies for her Miami restaurant.

For sheer beauty, her cookie book is matched only by her Book of Great Desserts (Knopf, $10), which came out in 1974. Both books make super presents for oneself and others. (Remember, you owe it to your nerves to soothe them in this graceful and even altruistic way.)

NH

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Nika Hazelton

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Christmas is coming. As usual, I suggest a little light baking: therapeutic for the baker, not expensive, and relished by the recipient—what more can one ask? And there is a splendid new book by Maida Heatter, called The Book of Great Cookies, a truthful title indeed. It is published by Knopf and priced at $10. Just to give you an idea of the wonderful, wonderful nibbles, you’ll find six variations on the classic brownie, Plain Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Austrian Walnut Crescents, Fudge Délices (buttery shells filled with baked-in chocolate), macaroons, marzipan bars, rum-raisin shortbread, The Farmer’s Wife Pecan Cookies, and Santa Fe Chocolate Wafers. The recipes are extremely clear, as you will see from the example below. And in a special section, she gives a number of professional baking tricks—for more than ten years, she baked all the desserts, cakes, and cookies for her Miami restaurant.

For sheer beauty, her cookie book is matched only by her Book of Great Desserts (Knopf, $10), which came out in 1974. Both books make super presents for oneself and others. (Remember, you owe it to your nerves to soothe them in this graceful and even altruistic way.)