The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars (Perfect Baking Cookbooks)

NOTE: I purchased this book on Dec 1st and there are no print issues in the front of the book so I'm assuming ATK has fixed the print issue that many refer to in their reviews.I'm a huge ATK fan and have watched the show for years as well as own many of their stand alone cookbooks as well as the annual editions. They are one of the first places I go to check if they've got a recipe. With that said, I've made plenty of their cookie recipes with rave reviews with many of recipes found in different CB or on the web. So... I was very excited to find a CB that contained a lot of tested, well know cookie recipes in one place. At first glance, the book layout is fantastic. It covers, drop, slice & bake, sandwich, brownies & blondies, bar, no-bake, Christmas and gluten free cookies.... and that's just the recipes. It also covers in detail core baking techniques, equipment and tools, staples, chocolate, manipulating texture, storing shipping and sharing and of course cookie troubleshooting. But the absolute most wonderful thing they did for this book was include a picture of EVERY cookie they showcase as well as tell you why the recipe works. I adhered closely to the instructions of the placement of the pans in teh oven, rotation of the pans in the oven and the bake time they recommend. I used silicone baking sheets as well as parchment paper.So as the 2017 Christmas season approached, I scouted four or five recipes to try.Chocolate Chewies (pg 63): These were one of the easiest to bake and turned out perfect. Really rich chocolate taste with a fudgy brownie like consistency. Only eight ingredients in this recipe. Came together quickly using my stand mixer and made exactly 25 cookies. Will definitely bake again.Salted Peanut Butter-Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg 71): I picked these cookies because my family is a huge fan of peanut butter "anything" and I've always loved the "sweet and salty" thing. The taste of these cookies were great. They had a nice play between the chocolate/peanut butter and the pretzel. One thing I did wrong however was double this recipe which made the batter dry because I wasn't able to get all the ingredients incorporated thoroughly. I made a note in the book not to do that next time. These are drop cookies and you form the dough in 2TB balls and then press each ball using a greased dry measuring cup. Some of the balls crumbled and I had to pinch them back together. It worked and they came out fine however, I probably caused more work for myself than needed. Also, I had to add a minute or two to the time. Adhering to their time suggestion, the first batch tasted slightly raw. Once I got the time down for my recipe, all turned out great. Will try again making only one recipe.Swedish Walnut Fingers (pg 109): My note in the book was these are "very hard to make". That's because I'm a novice at rolled and pressed cookies. But... this recipe is AWESOME!!! My husbands absolute favorites. This recipe contains a LOT of butter so you have to work quickly and there is quite a bit of chilling to do. Once the dough is pressed into 1/2 thick 10x8 rectangle, you have to use a floured fork to make this "washboard" design in the dough. If it's not chilled enough (my case) the design become a mess not resembling any kind of lines... I had to add another chill step before I could use the fork. Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, the washboard design works. Secondly, I wasn't sure how much these spread during the baking process. I got them too close and they ended up touching each other during baking. Will definitely bake again!Rugelach with Raisin-Walnut Filling (pg 198) I was on the Kitchn website and they had an article saying, "the best cookie you'll ever bake". It happened to be a rugelach cookie so my last cookie for the baking season was this raisin-walnut filled rugelach from this CB. I got the most complements from friends about this cookie. Friends raved how good it was and I have to admit it was my favorite for the year too. Rugelach is a Jewish party snack that is a cross between a cookie and a pastry. The wonderful thing about this cookie is I had enough dough to use four different filling. The dough has cream cheese in it so it bakes up very tender and flaky. I used raisin and dates/ chocolate and peanut butter/ walnut, pecan and brown sugar and lastly, apple jam and walnuts. Their instruction for the rolling of the dough was not clear so using the instruction from the Kitchn recipe too, I rolled the dough into a 8in to 10in circle about 1/4" thick and filled and then cut like a pizza and rolled the cookies from the outside of the circle in.... creating the crescent shape the cookies are well known for. They were absolutely delicious and I will make again.I'm excited to have this cookbook in my library of cookbooks and I really like that I have a concise, well-tested resource for so many cookie recipes. Looking through I can't think of one cookie that they haven't covered. Highly recommend if you don't have a one stop cookie cookbook on your shelf.

Being shown this book is solely responsible for me purchasing many hundreds of dollars of baking equipment - it so fantastically describes *why* a dish works and how/where to use each type of ingredient (types of flour, sugar, ect) that I felt that even in my ignorance going into it that I could make most any recipe it lists.Nearly every recipe inside contains one page which has three sections: Ingredients (all imperial units), numbered steps to make the dish, and why the dish works including why, say, dutched cocoa powder was chosen over normal cocoa powder. The other page (opposite it on the right) contains a high-quality photo of what the recipe should look like when done.As I've read the book the only mistakes made in the recipes so far have been my fault where I didn't read a recipe well enough before starting a step, causing me to do something wrong.I have only one significant complaint about the book but it's not worth taking a star off for: The book assumes that you have a stand mixer when you make most of the recipes in its pages. When I started making some of the cookies it details I was doing the mixing by hand which was tiring, but the book presents timings such as "beat on high for 3-4 minutes", which you have to convert to longer times if doing work by hand. My complaint is that the book assumes you have a piece of equipment which easily goes for $300-400, that most people won't have starting off in their baking habit.More light-heartily, this book will cause your credit card bill to go up as you find out all the (honestly) useful tools you may not have known were so useful, not to mention all the ingredients. I never even knew cake flour existed or the particulars of chocolate before getting into this book.One last fair warning: While nearly every recipe uses the same base set of ingredients - flour, sugar, baking soda, ect, many of the recipes call for specific brand-name ingredients. The book does well at times where it recommends how you can substitute one ingredient for other name-brand ingredients, but at times the book tells you that you must use X ingredient, and you have to find a work-around if it's not available in your local shops.Overall, I highly recommend this book. It has kicked off my new-found baking habit which I'm sure will keep my cabinet in regular use and keep me popular with my friends, who seem to enjoy my new hobby's fruits as well.

America's Test Kitchen keeps compiling recipes into cookbooks, and I keep buying them. Namely, this is because they're dependable and delicious. The first question anyone asks about any of ATK cookbooks is whether there is overlap between this cookbook and their other cookbooks. Unfailingly, yes. These recipes are in your other books, and if you buy their special edition magazines, you'll recognize quite a few repeats as well. I buy their books, despite this, because the recipes are so good, and despite this one complaint about repeats, they introduce enough new recipes that I don't feel cheated.The Perfect Cookie is divided into the following chapters: drop cookies; slice and bake; rolled, shaped and pressed; sublime sandwich; fancy; brownies and blondies; bar cookies; no-bake cookies and candies; Christmas; and gluten-free. Over the years, I have made many of the recipes in this book. I have had great success with chocolate chewies, peanut butter cookies, chocolate crinkle cookie; thin and crispy oatmeal cookies, and chewy sugar cookies. These a standard recipes meant to give you a classic cookie. They bake within the time allotted in the recipe, and family members and guests are always excited to sample them with coffee. Their fudgy brownies are nice mid-week pick-me-up, and the millionaire's shortbread is just right. Our family's Christmas cookie is the ATK eggnog snickerdoodle which is deceptively simple but delivers a complex flavor reminiscent of eggnog flavor without all the creamy heaviness of the beverage. In short, I've made dozens of recipes from this book. They are seldom upscale, gourmet twists, but they are knock-your-socks-off good.For those of you with cookie baking woes, there is a wonderful primer in the front of the book on making cookies to help you understand the process and troubleshoot failures. As an added bonus, the book ends with volume, weight, and oven temperature conversions. The index is organized by ingredient and type of cookie, rather than by recipe name.This book is a winner for bakers of all levels. Recommended.

I like it, it works new cooks or experienced, I bought 2 because of the great price, I think I’m giving it to 8 year old grandaughter She’s starting to show interest

Best cookbook I’ve ever owned. We have made about 16 of the recipes. The explanation of the ingredient choice and techniques are invaluable.

Here is the full recipe index...quite a list! I haven't baked from this book yet but will. I own at least a dozen cookie books and there are several in here Lube never seen. I finally purchased it so everything is in one place!BTW, the Kindle price is ($$) several dollars higher than what customer service has so call them to get the correct price. Reason for my rating.HAS ANYONE BAKED ANY OF THE COOKIES WITH THE REVERSE CREAMING TECHNIQUE?Full Recipe ListDrop CookiesSlice-and-Bake SweetsRolled, Shaped, and PressedSublime Sandwich CookiesLet's Get FancyBrownies and BlondiesBar CookiesNo-Bake Cookies and CandiesChristmas CookiesYou'll Never Know They're Gluten-Free250 KITCHEN-TESTED RECIPES THAT COVER A WIDE RANGE OF COOKIESBake better cookies. America’s Test Kitchen has almost 25 years of experience in the art and science of cookie baking, and now you can find all of that wisdom in one beautiful hardcover book. Discover foolproof recipes for cookie jar classics, recipes for irresistible rich and chewy brownies, delicious bars, fancy treats, and no-bake cookies and candies. We include full chapters on Christmas cookies and gluten-free cookies, too. There are tips and tricks throughout, and equipment and ingredient suggestions that set you up for success. Below, find the list of every perfect cookie in the book.DROP COOKIESPerfect Chocolate Chip CookiesThin and Crispy Chocolate Chip CookiesClassic Chewy Oatmeal CookiesChocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Dried CherriesSalty Thin and Crispy Oatmeal CookiesThin and Crispy Coconut Oatmeal CookiesThin and Crispy Orange-Almond Oatmeal CookiesChewy Sugar CookiesChewy Chai Spice Sugar CookiesChewy Coconut-Lime Sugar CookiesChewy Hazelnut–Browned Butter Sugar CookiesBrown Sugar CookiesChocolate Sugar CookiesPeanut Butter CookiesMolasses Spice CookiesMolasses Spice Cookies with Dark Rum GlazeMolasses Spice Cookies with Orange EssenceGingersnapsChewy Chocolate CookiesSnickerdoodlesChocolate Crinkle CookiesCranberry, White Chocolate, and Macadamia CookiesApplesauce CookiesTrail Mix CookiesChocolate ChewiesLemon Sour Cream CookiesCoffee Toffee Cookies (preview recipe online)Potato Chip CookiesChocolate-Dipped Potato Chip CookiesSalted Peanut Butter–Pretzel–Chocolate Chip CookiesSLICE AND BAKE SWEETSVanilla Icebox CookiesBrown Sugar–Walnut Icebox CookiesCoconut-Lime Icebox CookiesOrange–Poppy Seed Icebox CookiesCheckerboard Icebox CookiesPecan SandiesAlmond SandiesSablésAlmond SablésChocolate SablésBlack and White Spiral CookiesChocolate Sandwich CookiesLemon SablésToasted Coconut SablésVanilla Pretzel CookiesWashboardsButterscotch CookiesCherry Icebox RibbonsChocolate-Toffee Butter CookiesCinnamon Swirl CookiesMaple-Pecan Swirl CookiesDate-Filled Roll-UpsSpumoni BarsROLLED, SHAPED OR PRESSEDChocolate-Dipped Pistachio ShortbreadGinger ShortbreadToasted Oat ShortbreadChocolate Butter CookiesChocolate-Orange Butter Cookies with Chocolate-Brandy GlazeGlazed Chocolate-Mint Butter CookiesMexican Chocolate Butter CookiesSalted Chocolate Caramel Butter CookiesBittersweet Chocolate GlazeSwedish Walnut FingersGraham CrackersCinnamon Graham CrackersThin Chocolate-Mint Cookies with Easy Chocolate CoatingLemon ThinsCornmeal-Orange Cookies​​​​​​​Indian Tea BiscuitsChocolate Spice CookiesPumpkin-Pecan CookiesRussian Cheese CookiesBiscochitosPeanut Blossom CookiesJam ThumbprintsHazelnut Lemon Curd ThumbprintsChocolate Turtle CookiesS’mores Blossom CookiesTriple-Coconut MacaroonsChocolate-Dipped Triple-Coconut MacaroonsHermit CookiesCashew-Caramel TassiesFudgy Peanut Butter Mousse Cups​​​​​​​Fairy GingerbreadChocolate Chip Skillet CookieSublime Sandwich CookiesChocolate Sandwich CookiesPeanut Butter Sandwich CookiesPeanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Honey-Cinnamon FillingPeanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Milk Chocolate FillingAlmond-Raspberry Sandwich CookiesHazelnut Espresso Truffle CookiesMolasses Spice–Lemon CookiesVanilla Bean–Apricot Sandwich Cookies (preview recipe online)Coconut DropsDulce de Leche and Cinnamon Sandwich CookiesSpiced Shortbread ButtonsBaci di Dama (preview recipe online)Whoopie PiesMini Pumpkin Whoopie PiesLET'S GET FANCYSpritz CookiesAlmond Spritz CookiesLemon Spritz CookiesMeringue CookiesChocolate Meringue CookiesEspresso Meringue CookiesOrange Meringue CookiesToasted Almond Meringue CookiesMadeleinesAlmond MadelinesChocolate MadeleinesCitrus MadeleinesRosewater MadeleinesLadyfingersTuile CigarsFlorentine Lace CookiesRugelach with Raisin-Walnut FillingChocolate-Raspberry RugelachPalmiersItalian Rainbow CookiesAlmond BiscottiAnise BiscottiHazelnut-Rosemary-Orange BiscottiPistachio-Spice BiscottiFrosted Walnut DropsBaklavaTahini Cookies with Sesame SeedsAlmond MacaroonsFudgy Almond MacaroonsLemon Almond MacaroonsPine Nut–Crusted Almond MacaroonsChocolate-Mint CookiesCornmeal Olive Oil CookiesItalian Anise CookiesMexican Wedding CookiesGreek Honey CakesOrange-Cardamon TwistsDanish KleinerOld World Butter HornsRaspberry Almond Torte CookiesCherry Cheesecake CookiesBlack and White CookiesFrosted Red Velvet CookiesBROWNIES AND BLONDIESTriple-Chocolate Espresso BrowniesChewy BrowniesChewy Chocolate Frosted BrowniesChewy German Chocolate BrowniesChewy White Chocolate and Peppermint BrowniesChocolate-Cherry BrowniesCream Cheese BrowniesUltimate Turtle BrowniesRocky Road BrowniesPeanut Butter Swirl BrowniesS’mores BrowniesGingerbread BrowniesPeppermint Surprise Brownie BitesMississippi Mud BrowniesBlondiesCongo BarsPeanut Butter BlondiesChocolate Peanut Butter BlondiesButterscotch Meringue BarsBAR COOKIESCrunchy Granola BarsCrunchy Granola Bars with Coconut and SesameCrunchy Granola Bars with Dried Cranberries and GingerUltranutty Pecan BarsLemon BarsKey Lime BarsTriple-Citrus BarsPeach SquaresApricot SquaresCherry SquaresRaspberry Streusel BarsBlueberry Streusel BarsStrawberry Streusel BarsStrudel BarsFig BarsPear-Cherry Streusel BarsCranberry Oat BarsCranberry-Pistachio Coconut TrianglesApple Cobbler BarsCheesecake BarsChocolate Swirl Cheesecake BarsStrawberry Cheesecake BarsPumpkin Cheesecake BarsToffee BarsDream BarsWhite Chocolate Raspberry Bars (preview recipe online)Chocolate-Hazelnut DiamondsPB&J BarsOatmeal Fudge BarsMillionaire’s ShortbreadOatmeal Butterscotch BarsDate-Nut BarsBlackberry Bliss BarsNO-BAKR COOKIES AND CANDIESCrunchy Butterscotch HaystacksCrunchy Chocolate HaystacksCrunchy Peanut Butter HaystacksCrunchy White Chocolate HaystacksBuckeyesOreo Mint BallsWhite Chocolate–Coconut CandiesBourbon BallsBrigadeirosSalted Nut RollsChocolate Fluff CookiesRice Crispy TreatsAlmond Joy Rice Crispy TreatsChocolate-Cherry Rice Crispy TreatsDouble Chocolate Caramel Turtle Rice Crispy TreatsLoaded Rice Crispy TreatsPeanut Butter Rice Crispy TreatsSalty Cashew and Caramel Rice Crispy TreatsChocolate SalamiPoor Man’s ToffeeRocky Road Bark15‐Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge15‐Minute Peanut Butter Fudge15-Minute Rocky Road FudgeChocolate–Peanut Butter Candies (preview recipe online)Chocolate TrufflesChocolate-Almond TrufflesChocolate-Ginger TrufflesChocolate-Lemon TrufflesChocolate-Spice TrufflesSalted CaramelsChocolate‐Hazelnut BrittleChristmas CookiesFOOLPROOF HOLIDAY COOKIESSoft and Chewy Gingerbread PeopleLinzer Sandwich CookiesLemon Linzer Sandwich CookiesBlack Cherry and Chocolate Linzer CookiesCoconut SnowmenPeppermint Candy CanesAlmond-Spice Christmas WreathsStained Glass CookiesEggnog SnickerdoodlesMeringue Christmas TreesPfeffernüssePeppermint Mocha CookiesLebkuchen BarsCranberry Swirl ShortbreadNoche Buena Chocolate Sandwich CookiesYOU'LL NEVER KNOW THEY'RE GLUTEN- FREEGluten-Free Chocolate Chip CookiesGluten-Free Oatmeal-Raisin CookiesGluten-Free Chewy Sugar CookiesGluten-Free Chocolate CookiesGluten-Free Peanut Butter CookiesGluten-Free Fudgy BrowniesGluten-Free BlondiesGluten-Free Lemon BarsGluten-Free Key Lime BarsGluten-Free Ginger-Fig Streusel BarsHow many of the recipes are in any of the other ATK or COOKS COUNTRY books (duplicates).

I was given this cookbook for my birthday a bit over a year ago now and have made something from it pretty much every week since. There's an excellent mix of recipes from the standard ice box sugar cookie to florentines to brazilian brigadeiros (albeit much more chocolatey than our neighbors used to make) along with advice on things like making your own vanilla extract, the differences between butter and shortening, and tools recommendations. Every cookie in the recipe book is pictured and includes a short write-up on why certain ingredients and proportions were chosen.This was my first set of cookie recipes that weren't from Grandma or Great Auntie May or clipped out of an ancient newspaper, which meant that I had no idea brown sugar came in multiple varieties or vanilla beans could be an actual additive (the caramel turned out delicious). The book is always happy to tell me that they used dark brown sugar instead of light for a darker flavor and using egg whites instead of yolks helped them cram in more chocolate without sacrificing texture.For the most part the ingredients lists are relatively short and when there's an unusual ingredient like pumpkin or dulce de leche the book will tell me how and why its used. Certain recipes will request something I don't have--store bought caramels or orange marmalade or girl scout cookies--but there's still a large number of cookies to make even if you skip those (I ended up making my own orange marmalade from an online recipe).For these recipes even if I do something slightly off--didn't have a thermometer so the fudge was taken off the heat too late and ended up slightly oily--it still tastes delicious and the results do inspire me to keep trying. If I'm feeling like a gingerbread cookie or a peanut butter cookie or a molasses cookie, all I need to do is turn to the proper page and I have faith it will turn out beautifully.I have a few quibbles. While there is a (very useful) gluten free section, there is no vegan section which frustrates my sister and the value in the test authors' trials is completely lost when the egg substitutions start. There also isn't any quick indication of how long a recipe will take (most I can do on a work night, but not all) or how to store the finished cookie and how long they keep (the cream cheese in the frosting for red velvet cookies led to a lot of googling). There also was at least one recipe where preheating the oven was positioned before making the dough and chilling it for a half hour--rearranged those steps, but definitely need to read through the recipe before starting.All in all really thrilled with this book!

Love it!!! I love to bake and after years of baking all my tried and true recipes, I decided I wanted to try a few new ones. This book is perfect for that. I even found my new favorite sugar cookie. Hand-mixing the dough was surprisingly relaxing and nostalgic. I went on a baking spree this past weekend, and every single cookie I’ve made has been a huge hit. I love the “why it works” section. Understanding some of the science behind the ingredients is going to be so helpful in tweaking recipes to get the outcome I want in the future. I sit for hours with this book and just read it because it has so much helpful information. Highly recommend!

tried out some recipes and followed exactly - great results!

Il libro è fatto molto bene. Oltre alle ricette (tantissime e spiegate nei minimi dettagli), c’è una parte di “teoria” molto interessante e utile con la spiegazione dell’uso dei diversi ingredienti, tecniche e attrezzature. La filosofia del volume è infatti la ricerca e la prova di tante diverse opzioni per arrivare a un risultato ottimo.Le ricette sono americane, il libro è in inglese e le unità di misura in cups e spoons.

Recetas muy estadounidenses como les gustan a ellos. Está bien tenerlo para hacerlas alguna vez pero sigo prefiriendo las tradicionales europeas. El libro era de segunda mano pero estaba en muy buenas condiciones.

Absolutely amazing book, I can't stop poring over it and marking every recipe I want to bake (which means about 4/5 of thew book). The recipes are easy to follow, the tips and tricks are super useful and the pictures are very nice. There's a full section at the begining that is super handy for understanding how baking works and why some recipes call for something and others don't. There even a troubleshooting and a gluten-free section!I have read a comment on the fact that the first part of the book was blurry, I don't have that problem.I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an excellent book with tons of excellent cookies and desserts recipes.

Por fin un libro con rectas que si salen bien, muy bien explicado y salen justo como en mi foto !It’s a must have