Notes about Recipes in this book

• Bittersweet decadence cookies

  • Jane on February 27, 2017

    These tasted really good, helped that I used good quality chocolate - Valrhona's Manjari 64%. The pecan halves were too big to make scooping cookies practical. In future I would make the pecan pieces smaller.

• Orange alfajores

  • Jane on February 27, 2017

    These were much crisper than I like in an alfajores. Even after sandwiching for 24 hours with dulce de leche they were still very crunchy. They tasted good but the texture wasn't what I wanted.

• Robert's brownies my way

  • Cheri on January 26, 2013

    These are very good, but VERY fudgy. Easy to put together, followed recipe as written. Intense chocolate, a little piece goes a long way. Added chopped pecans.

• Caramel cheesecake bars

  • Cheri on March 10, 2011

    Nice combination. Fairly easy. Allow for chilling time. Made 1/2 recipe and used Trader Joes caramel sauce with fleur de sel in it.

• Maya's no-no-Nanaimo bars

  • robinorig on March 31, 2013

    Here's an online version: http://sevenspoons.net/blog/2011/2/7/geography.html

• Rocky road bars

  • IvyManning on November 27, 2020

    These are so sweet, but fantastic. I don't even like marshmallows, but these bars are like a delicious homemade candy bar!

• Apricot lemon bars with hazelnut crust

  • caitmcg on December 18, 2012

    These have a terrific tangy-sweet flavor and come out a pretty peach color. Best to use an apricot preserves that's not too sweet (even an all-fruit version) to avoid oversweet results. The hazelnuts in the crust didn't really register; next time, I'll either use more or leave them out. Powdered sugar sinks into the top, so not worth sprinkling on. A double recipe works well in a 9x13-inch pan.

• Maya's lemon thins

  • Avocet on March 15, 2022

    These were good, but not as good as the Lemon Drop Snaps in Abigail Dodge's Everyday Baker. I think the 400 degree temp is too high; they go from underdone to overdone in less than half a minute. If I were going to make them again, I'd cut the temp to either 375 or 350, and bake for longer.

  • krobbins426 on November 18, 2013

    Delicious. Rotating the trays didn't work as they browned too fast. 6 minutes at the top worked well. I liked them at a 1/8th rather than 1/16th, though I had some at both thicknesses.

  • sdutton on June 13, 2020

    We loved these and they are going to our Keepers list. You really need to watch them. They go from perfectly browned edges to half brown cookies in a blink. I rolled them thin but I can’t say if they were an 1/8 thick or thinner but they are thin and they are good. I froze a bunch and we have eaten some of them straight out of the freezer without giving them more than a minute or two to thaw. Delicious.

• Spicy carrot masala macaroons

  • Emily Hope on May 21, 2011

    These were great--spicy, chewy, unusual. They were a big hit at the Indian-food themed brunch that I brought them to. I made my own garam masala, which may make a difference--I went heavier on the cardamom and cinnamon than on the coriander, etc. in the blend.

• Whole wheat rugelach

  • DKennedy on October 29, 2015

    P. 248, Made these for a school event. I was not as happy with the consistency of these cookies as I am with Ina's version. The ww flour, does indeed, provide a bitter note. The cookies came out crisp. I think I prefer the ratio in Ina's recipe.

• Cinnamon oat grahams

  • TrishaCP on June 21, 2013

    These are a cinnamon twist on the "Great Grahams" recipe- but the cinnamon is really muted unless you add cinnamon sugar on top. This basic graham recipe is great however- and totally whole grain (graham and oat flours) with minimal sugar. I followed Alice's troubleshooting guide and rolled out the dough in two pieces to get it thin enough.

• Sugar crunch cookies

  • TrishaCP on June 17, 2012

    These cookies are as advertised- both crunchy and delicate. I would also say they are very sweet (well, they are sugar cookies)- which is fine for their intended recipient (my 8 year old niece). However, if I was making these for an adult audience, I would definitely upgrade to a spiced sugar and I would also use a cookie cutter for cleaner edges. The recipe uses a new-to-me and interesting technique of cream of tartar for the crunch and delicacy- but no eggs.

• Black bottom pecan praline bars

  • mfto on March 22, 2011

    I was disappointed in these cookies but maybe if I were a chocoholic I would like them better. I am taking them to a quilting group where there are many chocoholics. I used bittersweet rather than unsweetened chocolate following her directions. She said praline topping would spread during cooking but it didn't completely. She said to bake 20 to 25 mins until brownie bottom pulls away from side. Forget that because 20 mins is not enough time. Strangely enough, the cookies were better the next day but still the praline top was nothing special. You do not use a mixer but hand mixing is easy.

  • PatriciaScarpin on May 13, 2011

    I made these and they are out of this world! My family and friends loved them.

• Pebbly beach fruit squares

  • PatriciaScarpin on May 13, 2011

    Delicious, but the pastry is a pain in the neck to work with.

• Almond biscotti

  • PatriciaScarpin on April 26, 2012

    These are addictive! Very crunchy, delicious. Good plain and dipped in a bit of Marsala. In an airtight cookie tin they were good for 1 week (they did not last more than that, and I had to hold my horses not to finish up the batch in a couple of days). :)

• New classic coconut macaroons 2.0

  • blintz on April 22, 2016

    These are a family favorite for Passover or for when gluten-free folks are coming over. The texture is a big draw and yes, as Alice Medrich says, they are better the day they are baked because they are crispy, but the leftovers keep well, and get gobbled up in the next few days.

• Chocolate biscotti with less fat

  • Astrid5555 on November 01, 2012

    Initially I thought this recipe would be a failure because the dough spread quickly once put on the cookie sheet. Instead of 2 loaves there was a big mass of dough without shape, however the dough puffed up quickly and produced two flat loaves which could be cut and toasted. The finished biscotti were extra crunchy and tasted very good. Next time I would add a little bit more sugar, but for a low-calorie version these biscotti taste good enough.

• Wheat-free cutout cookies

  • Astrid5555 on December 15, 2012

    While the final cookies taste delicious, they were really disappointing to work with for my kids. The dough just stuck to the wax paper and they did not succeed in using their cookie cutters. We ended up rolling the dough into logs and slicing them into cookies as recommended in the wheat-free butter cookies recipe.

• Nibby pecan cookies

  • Astrid5555 on December 22, 2012

    Delicious and crunchy! Excellent taste from the toasted pecans.

• Macadamia and white chocolate chunk cookies

  • Astrid5555 on December 17, 2012

    Excellent! Chewy and crunchy at the same time. The salted macadamia nuts provide a great contrast to the white chocolate.

  • Kiiaro on September 27, 2014

    Absolutely the best cookie I've ever made. I was told by a coworker that they were better than Felix and Norton cookies. If you can't find roasted and salted macadamia nuts you can make them yourself!

  • Zosia on January 21, 2014

    Fabulous texture: crisp outer edges and chewy centres. They're not as sweet as some and have good flavour but could perhaps use a touch more vanilla. I'm getting closer in my search for the ultimate white chocolate-macadamia nut cookie.

• Chestnut walnut meringues

  • Astrid5555 on December 17, 2012

    Not my favorite meringues - very strong chestnut flavor. Would leave out chestnut flour completely next time and go for walnuts only.

• Coconut meringues

  • Astrid5555 on December 17, 2012

    Excellent for using up leftover egg whites. Very simple to make, nice taste.

• Peanut butter clouds

  • Astrid5555 on December 17, 2012

    Used smooth peanut butter, but would go for crunchy next time to make them more interesting. Topping the meringues with salted, roasted peanuts provides a nice texture.

• Lucy's chocolate minis

  • Astrid5555 on November 02, 2012

    My children's favorite chocolate treat with just the right size for a quick chocolate pick-me-up.

• Meringue mushrooms

  • eliza on December 20, 2016

    Strangely enough, this was a fail for me. The egg whites whipped to soft peak stage easily, but after the addition of the sugar, I was unable to get to the stiff peak stage. Because of this I simply made some small regular meringues instead of the mushroom shapes. After doing some research online, I found that the boxed egg whites (which I used) can sometimes fail in this way, something I'd not encountered before. So, I will try fresh ones if I do this again.

• Peanut butter cookies

  • krobbins426 on December 31, 2012

    Pretty good pb cookie. We added a trio of chocolate chips to the center after baking to make blossoms. Love the sea salt and use of dark brown sugar in this recipe.

• Steve ritual brownies

  • krobbins426 on January 18, 2013

    This technique worked perfectly! Fudgey inside and nice crunch outside. Will definitely make these again.

• Peanut caramel cheesecake bars

  • WendyKinney on January 03, 2012

    Easy and good.

• Oatmeal cookies

  • SugarTreeBaking on April 15, 2020

    Yes, the perfect oatmeal cookie! I made a few tweaks, boiled the raisins for 5 minutes using a Maida Heatter technique, then used the reduced raisin water for the 1/4 cup of water. Also used browned butter. Even without these mods, these are oaty and delicious.

  • stockholm28 on January 14, 2017

    This is a good cookie, but not for immediate gratification. She has you refrigerate the dough overnight. The recipe is made with melted butter and no mixer is required.

  • Rachaelsb on October 16, 2019

    The perfect oatmeal raisin cookie. Love Alice Medrich!!

  • Frogcake on April 19, 2018

    Fantastic cookies! Like jahqdruh, I used dried cranberries, and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight.

  • jahqdruh on March 26, 2018

    Made these with dried cranberries instead of raisins. We tested them head-to-head against Cook's Illustrated's version of the same cookie, and Alice's version won. If you plan ahead, the overnight rest is worth the wait, as it gives the cookie a more complex, almost butterscotchy flavor.

• My ginger cookies

  • SugarTreeBaking on October 10, 2020

    Excellent cookie, bursting with tongue tingling ginger flavor. Easy to mix up - no beating. I made mine larger, 22g each yielded 34 3” cookies. Chewy and delicious.

  • Melanie on March 02, 2014

    These were fantastic! Loved the triple ginger hit. Only downside is that they don't hold their shape very well.

  • swegener on January 15, 2015

    Loved these cookies--they make a ton though, and I'm still enjoying them from the freezer months later! They don't even need to defrost. Mine did not end up puffy though, more of a flat round cookie that was very soft. I might cook for longer next time.

  • ashallen on June 21, 2022

    Definitely a cookie for ginger lovers - mine were spicy-hot from all the ginger! I baked mine for the lower end of the range of suggested times and the texture was super - moist and chewy. I used blackstrap molasses, though the recipe advises against it, because I had it on hand and the flavor was still great. Although I love ginger, I might try the less-ginger variation next time (though it'll be interesting to see how the flavor changes during storage). I think my all time favorite molasses-spice cookie recipe is still Cook's Illustrated's Soft and Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies - they're even richer (more butter!) and ginger is just one of several spices vs. the primary flavor.

  • MissKoo on June 15, 2020

    OMGilicious. Love these cookies and intense ginger flavor. I use a full tablespoon of ground ginger (recipe calls for 2 teaspoons) and add cloves along with specified spices. I bake for lesser time suggested (about 10 minutes total) because I like them chewy. A great option for friends with chocolate and/or nut allergies.I sometimes make batter at night and leave covered in fridge overnight. Recipe says it makes about 56 2 1/2 inch cookies but I usually end up with about 40-44. Very good as dessert to serve alongside lemon mousse or with sorbets topped with Prosecco or Asti Spumante and fresh berries.

• Peanut butter blondies

  • Melanie on March 09, 2014

    I used crunchy peanut butter and skipped the nuts mixed through the batter / sprinkled on top. Unfortunately this came out crumblier than I would have liked so didn't end up taking it over to a friends house. Although, this still tasted great so I have popped it into the freezer for snacking on. It tastes great warmed up with a scoop of ice cream.

  • stockholm28 on February 01, 2019

    Very quick to make. The peanut butter was fairly subtle. These were fine, but not my favorite.

  • ashallen on February 14, 2022

    These came out with a really nice fudgey, cohesive, and lightly chewy texture. Peanut flavor was good, even with the subpar peanut butter and peanuts I'm working on using up, though it definitely takes a backseat to the chocolate flavor when you hit a big chocolate chunk. I used a chopped up chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips which melted into a spotty chocolate layer on top of the bars - not the prettiest, but still delicious. My peanuts were unsalted so I lightly sprinkled the top with Maldon sea salt - worked very well. My peanut butter was also unsalted so I added an additional scant 1/8 tsp salt to the batter. I don't like tons of large peanut chunks so I coarsely ground the peanuts mixed into the batter. Quick and easy to mix by hand - no mixer required.

• Blondies

  • cupcakemuffin on October 13, 2011

    These are amazing. The optional rum is definitely a "must add" in my opinion (at least if you aren't serving the to kids). Super moist and delicious.

  • stockholm28 on February 01, 2019

    The rum is a must. Mine were a little undercooked in the center. I thought they were fine, but not my favorite cookie.

  • Zosia on October 13, 2015

    Made like a saucepan brownie, these came together quickly and were delicious, tasting like chocolate chip cookies. A huge crowd-pleaser.

  • KristenS on May 05, 2020

    These were good, but very thin. Not what I think of for blondies. Quick and easy to put together, but I would not make them again.

• Very tangy lemon bars 2.0

  • okmosa on March 20, 2022

    To use a 9x13 pan, double the recipe. 1.5x is not a thick enough shortbread layer. Also, I won’t do the the paper towel trick at the end again because it ripped off the top layer that the powdered sugar sat on. Where it ripped off the layer, the powdered sugar melted. Otherwise, delicious!!!

• Chocolate espresso cookies

  • Rachaelsb on March 29, 2020

    Just amazing! Soft chewy texture with explosive chocolate and coffee flavor.

• My chocolate chip cookies

  • Rachaelsb on December 17, 2019

    Amazing, Amazing. Letting batter sit overnight makes huge difference. Texture and flavor are perfect.

  • jahqdruh on March 26, 2018

    These are my favorite chocolate chip cookie, hands down. The overnight rest of the cookie dough does make a big difference and is worth doing, if you can keep from eating the raw dough.

• Breakfast biscotti

  • Rachaelsb on June 10, 2019

    Wonderful texture and flavor. Incredibly satisfying especially when on the run in the morning and needing something crunchy to go with your coffee while you drive!!

• Cocoa brownies

  • Zosia on December 07, 2013

    Fudgy and chewy with intense chocolate flavour. This is a great recipe for when you need a chocolate fix and have none on hand. Uses either natural or Dutch processed cocoa. I used the latter.

• Cardamom shortbread

  • Zosia on April 08, 2014

    Crisp with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb, these delicious twice baked cookies were very easy to put together but with 2 rounds of baking - the first with the dough pressed into the pan, the second as individual cookies on a cookie sheet - did take some time before they were ready to serve.

• Eggnog cookies

  • damazinah on December 19, 2016

    The dough wasn't nearly as nutmeg-y as I like, so I added more, about a teaspoon althogether; I think they could still use more. Next time I'll also make a rum-nutmeg glaze to go on top after they cool.

• Alfajores

  • jahqdruh on March 26, 2018

    I made these twice -- once with store-bought cajeta and once with the goat's milk cajeta. I liked the store-bought better, as I thought the goat's milk cajeta had a pasty texture. (Flavor was fine, though.) The cookies are good enough to eat even without the cajeta.

• Wheat-free shortbread crust

  • sosayi on November 27, 2018

    Wonderful GF shortbread crust. It tastes just like the normal shortbread of your dreams!

• Fruit and nut bars

  • BasicStock on March 23, 2017

    As one of those people who loves fruitcake, this recipe is an great all year stand in. Nuts and dried fruit held together by a scant amount of batter. My favourite combination is hazelnuts, dried cherries and dates. I ice them with 1/4 cup melted butter mixed with 3/4 cup icing sugar and a dollop of brandy or rum. Taste even better with a few days aging.

• Espresso swirl brownies

  • amandabeck on January 17, 2022

    These were delicious. I wasn't sure what to expect with cream cheese in the swirl, but in the finished product it really does come out as an "espresso" swirl-- all I can taste is the super concentrated flavor of the espresso (I used King Arthur espresso powder). I ended up cutting them into small squares and freezing them-- they make an amazing snack straight from the freezer!

• Bourbon peanut shortbread

  • ashallen on February 18, 2022

    Great shortbread - tender, crisp, buttery, not overly sweet. Though I've made shortbread with other types of nuts, I'd never tried peanuts. Flavor was excellent and more nuanced than I'd expected (particularly given my not-so-great peanuts). Very easy to mix since recipe uses melted butter and doesn't require a mixer. I rested the dough overnight and used a tart pan with a removable bottom - no problems with butter oozing from the pan bottom. I'd definitely make these again and am looking forward to trying the base recipe with other types of nuts.

• Mexican wedding cakes

  • ashallen on April 08, 2022

    I liked the ease of using a food processor for all of the mixing steps in this recipe. The cookies had a wonderfully sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. They're only lightly sweetened, however, and we would have preferred them to have been sweeter (even my husband, whose sweet tooth is much smaller than mine!). I used peanuts for the nuts and added the optional egg yolk. Dividing my big dough lump by 48 yielded 16g lumps. The recipe doesn't mention bringing the dough to room temperature before forming cookies, but after chilling overnight, the dough was firm to the point of brittleness. Gently microwaving it (quickly) made it much easier to shape.

• Fine Cooking

  Medrich tweaks all the beloved classics to perfection ... and then offers compelling flavor variations, ensuring that both the cookie purist and the iconoclast are satisfied.

  Full review