Review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2053503848

The introductory chapter tells of the author's Swedish background which bodes well for great cookie recipes. Then before we get into the cookie recipes, we get some technique pointers to make them come out well and the icing recipe that works best for decorated cookies.

The cookie recipes start with classics. Gingerbread men, decorated shortbread, swirl cookies and a few less familiar.

We then get regaled with the author's ideas for a Cookies Exchange Party, which sounds great fun and a chance to make some fancy cookies like Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies, Almond Ricciarella Cookies, Espresso Thins or especially tasty selections like Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies.

The third chapter gives us some warm holiday spice or fruit and traditional holiday cookies from several countries. Eggnog Madeleines, Cinnamon-Sugar Palmiers and Swedish Pepparkakorare are included among the International treats.

Then, speaking of treats, Holiday Confections is our next chapter and includes ideas for fancy wrapping gifts of cookies or confections along with recipes for holiday themed treats like Peppermint Bark and Apple Cider Caramels, as well as less traditional treats like Chocolate-Hazelnut Fudge and Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Squares.

Chapter 6 is all about decorating with cookies. The classic Gingerbread house and Christmas tree shaped sugar cookies with decorative icing are featured along with cookie tree ornaments and Candy Cane Cookies. If you really want to impress, the 3-D Christmas Trees made of stacked cookies and the Stained Glass Snowflakes would add something special to any holiday decorations.

There are resources for finding speciality equipment or ingredients in the back for the Americans, thought the rest of us will have to do our own sleuthing.

The color pictures throughout the book could entice any occasional baker to make the extra effort to do some extra baking this holiday season. The attention to detail in gift wrapping makes baking a present for the relative you never know what to buy for a definite attraction, as long as they aren't diabetic! Overall this is an excellent holiday baking book and probably the only one you'll ever need for cookies.

Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season is a delicious recipe book by Elisabet der Nederlanden.

This informative and helpful baking guidebook provides fifty recipes, such as Gingerbread Cookies, Red Velvet Crackle Cookies, Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies, Red-and-White Meringue Kisses, Espresso Thins, Glazed Eggnog Madeleines, Saffron Pisstachio BIscotti, Swedish Pepparkakor, Danish Butter Wreaths, Peppermint Bark, Bourbon and Maple Chocolate Truffles, Candy Cane Cookies, and Gingerbread House.

In addition to the Introduction, About This Book, Cookie Tips and Tricks, Decorating Cookies, Royal Icing, Packaging Tips and Tricks, and Storing Cookies, this book is divided into the following six main sections: Very Merry Classics, Cookie Exchange Party, Warm Holiday Spice, Around the World, Holiday Confections, and Decorated Delights.

While featuring brilliant full-color photographs, Holiday Cookies is geared towards various ages, from teenagers to older generations. Highly recommend this book for those interested in baking holiday sweets or even food photography.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

5+++++stars.
One of the best baking cookbooks that I have ever read. I am wishing for the holidays at the end of June already, as I really want to try out a lot of the holiday cookies.
There are many beautiful looking (and I am sure tasting) cookies for all seasons though and this book is really inspiring me to get in the kitchen and bake even if it almost July heat.





Reading Progress

I was lucky enough to receive an early NetGalley copy of "Holiday Cookies" and I have fallen in love with this holiday treat cookbook. The introduction has some of the basic tips and tricks including instructions on icing, packaging and storing. This cookbook has an amazing collection of holiday cookie recipes both traditional and out of the ordinary, including a category of selections from around the world. The photography of each of the dishes is beautiful and makes your mouth water just looking at them. The recipes are fairly simple with easy directions to follow. I love to exchange holiday cookies and can not wait to make these yummy treats to share with my friends.

During the holidays, you can never have too many cookies. They’re needed for cookie trays, neighbor gifts, dessert buffets, and family gatherings. Traditions in most families include several varieties of fancy holiday cookies, and it’s always fun to add a new variety. Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season is one of the best new cookbooks to help any baker add incredible holiday cookies to the ever growing, but possibly run of the mill repertoire.

Although there are hundreds of holiday cookie cookbooks, this one is really worth having. It not only has traditional cookie recipes, but also dozens of new mouthwatering varieties that everyone will want to bake. The directions are concise and easy to understand and follow. The pictures – there is a picture of every one – are gorgeous, and the book is organized so that it’s easy to find a new recipe to try whenever in the mood.

Although the main focus of the book is cookies, there are also some excellent recipes for candies and confections, such as a rich Dark Hazelnut Fudge and crunchy and delicious Smoked Almond and Cacao Nib Brittle. Favorite new cookie recipes include Pain D’épices Shortbread Swirls which contain a beloved French spice, Fig and Cardamom Rugelach, Hot Chocolate Cookies with Aleppo Pepper, Dark Chocolate Cookies with Caramel, and Red Velvet Crackle Cookies. Some of the cookies incorporate the latest flavor trends, and some are traditional cookies made yearly by families.

In the beginning of the book, there are hints on Cookie Tips and Tricks, Storing, Packaging, and Decorating cookies. There are also recipes for a darling Gingerbread House, 3-D Christmas Trees, and Gingerbread Place Cards.

All told, if you want an excellent cookbook with both traditional and new cookies, this is the one. It is highly recommended and will be one that is used over and over.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This tasty book brings cookie making into the 21st century with Expresso Thins, Apple Cider Caramels and Saffron Pistachio Biscotti. It also raises the bar on many traditional cookie classics, like shortbread and madeleines. How does fruitcake shortbread and eggnog madeleines sound?

Swedish born Elisabet der Nederlanden, begins with her ten rules of success for cookies. Rules that, to the annual ritual of holiday baking might sound intuitive, are anything but. This book has beautiful photographs, luscious recipes, and even directions on how to build a gingerbread house. There are also handy tips on storing packaging cookies and “adding flair” to your cookies – including a decorating technique called flooding. This may well be your go-to book for all-things cookie for seasons to come!

Wonderfully written and easy to understand! Delicious ingredients and simple to make

Holiday Cookies is a beautiful and thorough cookbook. I can't wait to bake the chocolate-stenciled shortbread rounds, the oatmeal crisps with chocolate, and the espresso thins. There are many more I would love to eat, but I know in reality I'm too lazy to bake them. The directions for each recipe are clear, the ingredients are not too weird to be found in grocery stores, and there's a photo of every cookie! I even appreciate the information in the front of this cookbook because the author details how long the cookies can be stored and how to package them.

No matter how hard I try, my baked goods never come out looking as good as the photos, but I'm still determined to keep trying! This book had really great cookie recipes (all year round) that I'd never heard of (almond ricciarelli cookies, malted milk chocolate cookies, hot chocolate cookies with aleppo pepper), and it's so much fun to discover new cookies (fig and cardamom rugelach). It's a beautifully-laid out book, with great packaging tips and tricks, photos, and easy-to-follow instructions.

In case you are wondering why today, 214 days before Christmas I have decided to share a review of an upcoming Holiday Cookies Cookbook the reason is simple, I love cookies. Motivated only slightly by a bake sale I volunteered to bake for in a fundraising attempt of the honor choirs upcoming trip to Europe next year, I thought I would give one of these recipes a try from author Elisabet der Nederlanden and Ten Speed Press. This book is coming out this September 5th and is worth pre ordering. The photos are fantastic and these Red Velvet Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are far superior to my own recipe!

I loved the easy to follow recipes. Great illustrations that makes the recipes easy to understand.

As a baker, I am always on the lookout for new and creative recipes to level up my cookie-baking. This book took some old favorites and twisted them into brand new, fresh ideas. The recipes are clearly communicated, and the photos are luscious. Will be buying a hardcover of this one for my cookbook collection.

This packs 50 beautifully photographed cookie recipes that you'll reach for throughout the year, not just the holidays! It includes packaging, storing, decorating and cookie tips and tricks to get you started. It has a wide variety of cookie recipes including chocolate dipped macaroons, gingerbread, spritz, pinwheels, black and whites, sandwich cookies and many, many more. I see myself using this throughout the year! I tested some of the recipes, making the Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Almond Ricciarelli Cookies (Dreamy and a must make!), and Fig & Cardamom Rugelach Cookies!! All of them are must makes! This makes a great addition to any cookie lovers repertoire!

Holiday Cookies

Even inveterate holiday cookie bakers will find inspiration in Elisabet der Nederlanden’s Holiday Cookies.

This baker had an “aha moment” on how to get organized for more relaxed and enjoyable cookie baking for the holidays. A key tip: many cookie doughs can be frozen for up to three months before baking, which allows more time for decorating as the season draws near. Homemade holiday cookies deserve a festive presentation, and components of a pretty package can be gathered at any time of year. The book’s full-color photographs have a homey, rustic feel and show both how cookies will look and how they might be charmingly packaged and presented.

Some new-to-me recipes that will be on my holiday baking list include: Bejeweled Chocolate Cookies; Oatmeal Crisps with Chocolate; Espresso Thins; Saffron Pistachio Biscotti; Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies. And finally, Fruitcake Shortbread (which I’m hoping will win over those who usually eschew fruitcake.) I’m also eager to try
a Swedish Pepparkakor recipe that has been in the author’s family for over 75 years.

Offers gluten-free options. Supplies pro tips to yield consistently pleasing results. Gives guidelines for ensuring that your cookie exchange is a success. A section on special projects (including how to make a gingerbread house) is included. Lists resources for ingredients and equipment--I found the sources for decorating sugars and cellophane bags and wrap particularly helpful. No more hunting at the last minute for materials to wrap my cookies!

I would certainly buy Holiday Cookies for my own cookbook collection and it would also make a terrific wedding or shower gift.

What a great little collection of holiday recipes. The variety of flavors and techniques is nice, and I thought the pictures were lovely. I am excited for holiday baking 7 months in advance!

Great new holiday cookie book. I want to use it for my holiday cookbook book club. Lots of incredible recipes and ideas to decorate and package them.

There were lots of color pictures to go with the cookie recipes. Pictures of the food are always a big selling point in a cookbook for me. I liked the way the cookies were divided into sections. I felt the headings were more helpful than they are often are in cookbooks. Also I liked that there were some really different cookie recipes. It was not the same old tired cookie recipes and at the same time they were not so exotic that you would have to hunt everywhere for ingredients and equipment to make them.

A very elegant collection of Christmas cookie recipes. Although the end results look a bit intimidating to a casual baker, reading the recipes has made me confident that I might be able to achieve the same results.

The 50 or so recipes include classics like gingerbread, spritz cookies and macaroons, and also less usual recipes like Glazed Eggnog Madeleines, Saffron Pistachio Biscotti, and Alfajores.

I learned from the included tips on baking and storing cookies, and I am inspired to try many of the recipes included. Also, because the book is so very beautiful, and has both classic and unique recipes, I think it would make a wonderful gift for any home baker.

A good selection of recipes in this lovely book with great cookie photos. However not all are actually cookie recipes and they are often labelled as general holiday cookies. The cookies are from many parts of the world but what most of the Christmas cookies we have in Austria and Germany never made it to the pages. Some of the cookies are not correctly prepared like the Italian biscotti. They are not actually holiday cookies anyway. Biscotti are thinly sliced and crispy and are served with tea or coffee. Palmiers are French pastries, they do not contain cinnamon. Good try.