Notes about Recipes in this book

• Jeanne Bauer's maple macadamia bars

  • Jane on January 01, 2014

    I had mixed results with this cookie. The maple caramel topping was very runny even after cooling for a few hours. I had to put the tray in the fridge before I could cut them and then at the party they were oozing a lot as they warmed. They tasted good and they got praised but if I make them again I will boil the syrup for longer or bake them for longer. I also wasn't sure about the point of the side crusts (beyond maybe keeping the runny topping in place?). The picture in the book had no pieces with side crusts and I decided it would look strange on the plate, some with and some without so I cut all the side crusts off which seemed a waste (I would rather have had more crust under the cookies as it was quite thin).

• Marion Bush's cranberry-chocolate chippers

  • Laura on January 02, 2011

    I've been making these for years because they are so easy and quite rewarding. The combination of the sweet and tangy is unusual in a Christmas cookie.

• Maple walnut sablé sandwiches

  • Laura on January 02, 2011

    These are exquisite. Yes, they are a lot of work, but the results are beautiful. Always a crowd-pleaser.

• Three-nut fingers

  • Lindacakes on March 11, 2024

    A subtle and intriguing cookie. You make a three-nut butter first. They are not very sweet. Oversugaring them does not help. One coating of sugar is enough.

• Gingerbread people

  • stockholm28 on December 28, 2018

    This is a fairly mild gingerbread.

• Traditional rolled Christmas sugar cookies

  • stockholm28 on December 20, 2014

    Good basic recipe for rolled sugar cookies. The lemon zest gives a nice flavor.

  • Creative.Juices on April 29, 2017

    This is THE recipe for perfect cut-out sugar cookies! Whether using cookie cutters, a cookie stamp, or the bottom of a glass, you will get perfect cookies every time! The lemon zest is delightful, adding a brightness to the cookies you'll likely come to favor, but if you wish to eliminate it you can, with no effect on the dough. I can even use my Hallmark cookie cutters that emboss impressions when cutting out of the dough. The impressions will remain sharp even after baking! Enjoy!

• Cocoa brownies

  • Zosia on January 29, 2016

    These were okay for the amount of effort that went into them but I found them a little too sweet and lacking in chocolate flavour. Granted, I omitted the pecans which would have cut the sweetness but with good cocoa powder and all of that butter, I thought they would have tasted better.

  • lkgrover on December 08, 2019

    Easy chocolate brownie recipe; I didn't think they were overly sweet. I used 1/2 cup pecans and 1 cup walnuts.

• Mexican wedding cakes

  • lkgrover on December 15, 2022

    My cookies spread out which these are not supposed to do. Still tasted good, but not as pretty. Maybe my butter was too soft?

• David's dreambars

  • lkgrover on December 16, 2018

    Rich & luxurious bars; I had several requests for the recipe. However, the ingredients were expensive, as mentioned in the recipe note. (I used Lindt for all three chocolate varieties.)

• Ginger pennies

  • Creative.Juices on April 29, 2017

    Ginger pennies are exactly what they sound like - penny-sized ginger cookies, just right for a child's tea party, or an adult's cup of tea. They have a nice punch of ginger, and are so easy to make - especially if you're already comfortable with a decorating bag. Highly recommend these!

• Cinnamon cloud-nine crunchies

  • Creative.Juices on April 29, 2017

    These cookies are the most unique cookies I've ever baked! They take some effort to make, especially if you're not used to working with yeasted doughs, but don't let that put you off. Cinnamon Cloud-Nine Crunchies are pure delight, especially served with a hot beverage during the holiday season. They're like little pillows of cinnamon-y goodness!

• Mahogany buttercrunch toffee

  • sdeathe on October 05, 2020

    Absolutely fabulous ! Quite easy to do, just watch that the sugar doesn’t go from mahogany to burnt. (The voice of experience). So deliciously different from store buttercrunch.

• Lora Brody's rugelach

  • ashallen on November 23, 2021

    Delicious. I used apricot lekvar which worked really nicely with the raisin flavor. Lightly crisp on the outside and tender inside. I used unbleached flour instead of bleached as called for in the recipe and they still turned out great. Baked an extra 5 minutes since I prefer cookies like this to be more-browned. Some online reviewers noted problems with the dough getting very soft during rolling and/or flattening during baking. I didn't have those troubles but my kitchen was very cool (61F) and I gave the cookies a full overnight rest before baking. Don't let them sit too long on their baking sheets after baking - I waited a couple minutes too long on one batch and they began welding to the foil and had to be scraped free with a sharp spatula.

• The ultimate lemon butter bar

  • jvozoff on July 04, 2023

    These are so delicious - crunchy shortbread and lemon curd. Sometimes the crust can be fussy. But worth crumbles now and again for that amazing lemon curd.