Rating: 
Summary: Not Just Good... Great!
Review: I just recieved this book and I am gratefull that I ordered it! This book is not just the same old cookie recipes put together in a new book. Ms. Boyle has taken the time to update classic recipes and give new, interesting, flavorful recipes, such as her take on the popular chocolate sandwich cookie. She includes some history of cookies, as well as very good guidance for packing and sending cookies. I wish that there were a few more photos, but only because the photos in the book are so good. The recipes seem very well written, and different enough to more than justify the book. With Ms. Boyle being a trained pastry chef and food editor of Choclatier magazine, she has used her experience very well in creating delicious, non-pedestrian recipes.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Delicious!
Review: I love to bake. I am so glad that I ordered this cookbook! I have made the white chocolate key lime bars and the peanut butter cookies. The bars were delicious and everyone told me that the peanut butter cookies were the best they had ever had. I brought some to work and people said "I can't believe you made these, these are something you get at a really good bakery or deli". I can't wait to bake my way through this book. Thank you Trish!
Rating:
Summary: This really is 'the good cookie'... and then some!
Review: I really love this book! Every word and beautiful color picture inspires delicious thoughts. Though there is not a picture for every recipe, a quick read through of the recipe (each step is numbered and each recipe is set up so you won't have to flip pages to view one recipe) gives you a really good idea of what to expect. I have tried the chocolate toffe brownie bites and got great reviews and look forward to trying the midnight brownies. Tish Boyle does a great job - again, on all fronts!
Rating:
Summary: It's Crunch Time!
Review: If you're the sort of person whose devotion to cookies stops at a stack of Oreos, you may as well go somewhere else: This book is not for you unless you're daring enough to buy it and give it to someone who <bakes> cookies. At that point your horizons will be enlarged.Tish Boyle, of the magazines Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design, knows her cookies, and she's put about 250 recipes for them in this neat, well-organized book: one to a page, clear instructions, easy to read. All kinds of cookies: drop, rolled, hand-formed, bar types and piped/molded types. Also icebox cookies (aka 'refrigerator' today) and filled cookies. Plain and decorated cookies. There's even a recipe here for Ginger Quakes made with (optional) bacon fat--not a lot but just enough to really make a difference. And recipes for pet cookies like Seafood Cat Cookies and Miss Kitty Dog Biscuits. There are also plenty of handy tips, such as not using a nonstick pan when baking madeleines (they'll be over-browned). Here's my own tip: Get the kids involved and start them young. It's good for them to learn how to do instead of buy, and real home-made cookies are so good they'll be less likely to fall for the kind of junk that stores offer in cellophane packages.
Rating:
Summary: great cookies!
Review: Just got The Good Cookie and it's great! I sat down and read it through. It so informative, regarding utensils and ingredients- and I thought I knew how to cook. The History of the Cookie was intriguing
The recipes look very yummy, and I can't wait to try some. I am especially interested in the savory cookies at the end. I have never seen a recipe for cat biscuits either, but look forward to trying then on our adorable new kitten. Good Job Tish!
Rating:
Summary: You Only Need One Good Cookie
Review: Maida Heatter, a long-trusted name in baking, said "Happiness is baking cookies -- especially when they are as delicious as all these are." I cannot agree with her more. Because of time constraints, I tend toward the easier recipes in this book, and there are so many to choose from. My pregnant cousin does not allow me to visit her anymore without Tish's Chocolate Chunk Cookies; my children finish a dish before I can even get to them. For fans of wonderfully rich, chocolate-y cookies, make sure you try this recipe first! For a great after school treat, be sure to try the Classic Vanilla Sugar Cookies. You can taste each of the simple ingredients that is part of this recipe, and your children will gladly help you sprinkle the coarse sugar. There are many, many more recipes to try, and they range from simple to sophisticated and sweet to savory. In the end, one needs only one good cookie. But it is nice to know that, with this book, you will have many more favorites from which to choose!
Rating:
Summary: Great selection of cookies!
Review: The peanut butter cookies were a big hit with my family and friends. The almond crescents tasted just like the ones I had when I was kid. I found it useful to have a list of sources available in the book. It saves me the trouble of finding where to purchase hard-to-find and not-so-hard-to-find baking ingredients. Very anxious to try the other recipes!
Rating:
Summary: Great selection of cookies!
Review: The peanut butter cookies were a big hit with my family and friends. The almond crescents tasted just like the ones I had when I was kid. I found it useful to have a list of sources available in the book. It saves me the trouble of finding where to purchase hard-to-find and not-so-hard-to-find baking ingredients. Very anxious to try the other recipes!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Roadmap to Great Cookies with a Little Tweaking
Review: There's a reason this cookbook is called "The Good Cookie" and not "The GREAT Cookie". This is a well researched & well written compendium covering many types of cookies and full of recipes that will give you tasty, satisfactory results. Hoever, it's especially good if you are looking for basic recipes to use as a springboard to truly fantastic cookies or for someone relatively new to baking. I have made about fifteen of the recipes as written and the cookies were tasty but not fantastic or out of the ordinary. However, when I then went back and tweaked the ingredients, I ended up with wonderful results without having to create a recipe on my own. For instance, the ginger cookie recipe is basically a sugar cookie with the addition of a small amount of ginger, which is perfectly fine for people who don't want a spicy, crunchy cookie -- however I wanted a more traditional product. The linzer cookies as-written are too delicate to truly be called a "linzer" cookie and the nuttiness is overwhelmed by the butter. Yet by increasing the nuts, I was able to make a terrific cookie that was sturdier and nuttier, more like a real linzer torte. Having said all this, nevertheless, I salute anyone who takes the time to bake homemade cookies in this day and age so don't be put off: the recipes as-is will make everyone around you very happy. Overall I am glad to have this book on my shelf and I applaud the author for its clarity, the ease of the recipes and the depth of the content, however I now know that I must be prepared to play around after trying the recipes if I want to achieve outstanding results.
Rating:
Summary: Good Roadmap to Great Cookies with a Little Tweaking
Review: There's a reason this cookbook is called "The Good Cookie" and not "The GREAT Cookie". This is a well researched & well written compendium covering many types of cookies and full of recipes that will give you tasty, satisfactory results. Hoever, it's especially good if you are looking for basic recipes to use as a springboard to truly fantastic cookies or for someone relatively new to baking. I have made about fifteen of the recipes as written and the cookies were tasty but not fantastic or out of the ordinary. However, when I then went back and tweaked the ingredients, I ended up with wonderful results without having to create a recipe on my own. For instance, the ginger cookie recipe is basically a sugar cookie with the addition of a small amount of ginger, which is perfectly fine for people who don't want a spicy, crunchy cookie -- however I wanted a more traditional product. The linzer cookies as-written are too delicate to truly be called a "linzer" cookie and the nuttiness is overwhelmed by the butter. Yet by increasing the nuts, I was able to make a terrific cookie that was sturdier and nuttier, more like a real linzer torte. Having said all this, nevertheless, I salute anyone who takes the time to bake homemade cookies in this day and age so don't be put off: the recipes as-is will make everyone around you very happy. Overall I am glad to have this book on my shelf and I applaud the author for its clarity, the ease of the recipes and the depth of the content, however I now know that I must be prepared to play around after trying the recipes if I want to achieve outstanding results.
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