I received this book and immediately went to the store to buy the ingredients needed for several of the wonderful recipes. I began with the spritz cookies and they were absolutely delicious (and easy). Beranbaum includes so much instructional information and offers a great assortment of cookie recipes. As a person who recently purchased a lot of cookie books, I highly recommend this one!

I confess that I find Rose's cookbooks intimidating (she is the woman who chose her husband because he understood her thesis on why sifting was not an adequate way to distribute dry ingredients), but like the Cake Bible this is a tremendous resource for a cookie baker. Don't expect all the standards here, but some new and even challenging cookies.

I bought this book for myself this Christmas baking season and I am soooo glad I did. What a beautiful book. I made 4 types of cookies out of it this year and each of them were fantastic! I absolutely LOVE the lemon bars. And although other reviewers have said that the Magohany Buttercrunch didn't come out for them, I had no problems with it at all. Delicious! Aside from the tasty recipes, this book is very well written and organized and contains a wealth of information about cookie baking. Here is what you can expect to find with every recipe:

1)A beautiful picture accompanying it, so there is no question what the finished product is supposed to look like.
2)A detailed ingredient list, broken down in volume, ounces and grams, making it user friendly for every baker.
3)A detailed equipment list outlining exactly what you will need in order to make each recipe. This is a very nice feature, given that many recipes have the equipment needed buried inside the recipe descriptions. Nothing worse than being in the middle of a recipe and realizing you don't have that candy thermometer that you need!
4)Several different mixing methods when appropriate (ie/food processor method, electric mixer method or by hand). It's great to be able to choose the method!
5)Storage and longevity information about every recipe. Detailed information about how each cookie can be stored (if they can be frozen and/or if they can be kept at room temp or need to be refrigerated) and how long the cookies will keep with each storing method. This is VERY valuable information.
6)A "Smart Cookie" section providing hints and useful information about every recipe.
7)A personal introduction from the author about every recipe, giving a detailed description of the cookie, what you can expect if you make it and what the recipe means to the author (whether it was a cherished childhood recipe, a recipe shared by a friend or one that she tweaked herself to arrive at the best version, etc). This personal touch is a welcome addition to an already fabulous book.

Aside from all the detail provided with every recipe, there are other very useful sections with valuable information. The introduction, for example, has wonderful information about the best way to package cookies for shipping so that they arrive in one piece. (Thank you so much for that, Rose. I sent over 5 dozen cookies to my family in Florida and they all arrived intact!)There is also very detailed information in the back of the book about equipment, common baking ingredients, equivalencies and substitutions, techniques, etc. etc. etc. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone who loves baking cookies, whether it's for the holidays or for any occasion throughout the year. Rose's knowledge and love of baking is expressed so beautifully in this wonderful book. I know it will always be a cherished book in my kitchen.

This is the only Christmas cookie book you need. This book is always pulled out at the start of the holiday season. Not only do the georgeous pictures put you in the holiday spirit but it also reminds me of the delicious memories of the wonderful cookies I have made from this book. I know that the binding may crack(7 years and still whole) but wouldn't you rather have a well-loved book that you use or a perfect binding of a book that never gets a second glance. Sequel Please.