Adopting the yum yum coffeecake as a signature dish for me to bring whenever I need to bring a sweet item. Love it so much.

I picked this book up because I thought it was a cookie book. It's not. It's a more general baking book, with recipes for pies, cakes, biscuits, and breads in addition to cookies. The cookie in the title refers to a cookie that Silverton tasted that she just loved.

Silverton is an accomplished baker, but her writing style turned me off after I got through a chunk of the book. She comes across as maybe too confident, maybe confidence plus a good dollop of smugness? Multiple recipes are actually other peoples' recipes that she tweaked to improve them, which comes across as "this is good but I know better." I'm not afraid of a baking challenge, but these recipes run to the long and detailed, with many of them featuring ingredients uncommon to the home baker's kitchens. The book was developed during the pandemic; I'm not sure if the length of the recipes reflects that period when we had more free time on our hands, or if Silverton is this wordy always. Either way, there are better baking books out there that won't make the baker feel talked down to.

This is a compilation of Nancy Silverton's favorite recipes. Many of them are traditional recipes, like for chocolate chip cookies, but with adjustments to ingredients or method to make them even better.

So I had never heard of Nancy Silverton (I’m hopeless, I know) so I picked this up thinking it was just another cookbook, but it’s an inspiration. I’ve always been a half-assed cook, using recipes as guidelines more than instructions, with decidedly mixed results. But this book has inspired me to not only start baking again but to make an effort to follow the advice of the experts. Only problem is, due to food allergies and dietary restrictions in my household, I’ll be forced to consume most of the th e product. Bwahaha.

Seriously, the thorough instructions and beautiful photos will inspire anyone. #TheCookieThatChangedMyLife #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Cookie that Changed my Life by Nancy Silverton!

The book itself was gorgeous and I am dying to try the chocolate cookies and the sticky toffee cake. I will say that this book definitely seems like you might need a little bit of baking experience before diving in. The instructions were very clear and should be easy to follow. The only issues I had were that the pictures weren't loading and were very pixelated. I tried to download it on kindle instead and the formatting was awful. I'm not sure if that is something that could be fixed but I ended up using the netgalley app instead. I would definitely recommend buying the physical copy of this book instead and I would definitely recommend buying this book just in general. The recipes sounded absolutely mouth watering!

I always aim to test a few recipes for any cook book I review. I have three words for this review:
EXTRA LARGE EGGS.

I couldn't test the recipes in this because any that called for eggs, called for extra large instead of the standard large. The practicality of a cookbook that you have to have a whole separate type basic is simply not there. The author also emphasizes up front that the recipes use everyday basics, then goes over the 8 (!!!) types of flour the book uses and quietly mentions that the eggs themselves will need to be a special purchase. I'm sure they are very well tested and tasty, but every recipes would result in a special trip to the store.

A master class in baking, Nancy Silverton's The Cookie That Changed My Life makes classic recipes exciting, approachable, and like something you just HAVE to try. Learning from a culinary master makes this collection of recipes essential to anyone looking to achieve baking perfection. The curated list of tools and ingredients at the start of the book is an exercise in precision, setting the stage for success. There is so much wisdom in the book - this is a collection you'll turn to again and again as you gather the ingredients for mouthwatering treats that focus on flavor and technique. I am ordering multiple copies right away.

Nancy Silverton is a culinary icon and anything with her name on it will get my attention. This book is filled with classic (but often updated) baking recipes that make me feel nostalgic and hungry. I love that it includes her take on Wedding Cookies - which both her mother and my grandmother called Mexican Wedding Cookies - my grandma made them every Christmas and that is a sweet memory for me.

Ok, I'm biased because Nancy Silverton has written one of my favorite cookbooks, and also, who doesn't love cookies?! But this book is outstanding. It's a must buy.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not just a cookie cookbook, but that it included all manner of pastries, and even savory breakfast items. The appealing aspect of the cookbook is that the author updates classic recipes such as carrot cake, and includes flavorful ingredients to improve the taste. For instance, carrot cake was improved with the use of carrot puree instead of pineapple. Ham and cheese croissant was given a bechamel coating.

The directions were clear and well-written, and the author has the novice cook in mind, while also including challenging or novel techniques for experienced bakers.

I would like to purchase this for friends and family, as well as for our library!

This book has many good, basic recipes for a variety of baked goods, as well as general reference information on baking. It should appeal to both beginning and experienced bakers, and would make a good gift. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great addition to a large non-fiction collection where cookbooks are popular. The recipes are fairly standard and not all that creative, but it is a great generic baking guide that will appeal to a large number of patrons.
The introduction is a bit long, the information given could be presented in a more interesting way- it currently reads like a textbook. I do love that they have pictures of each recipe, which helps make them seem interesting.

Master pastry chef Nancy Silverton returns with a dazzling array of her favorite recipes, both simple and complex. Many illustrations included.

Let me say up front that I love Nancy Silverton and own 3 of her books already. Her recipes are clear, if involved and full of steps, and rarely disappoint. So, I can't wait to make these recipes. Just one caveat though: there's a biscuit recipe that calls for 5 cups of flour and FIVE sticks of butter. The yield? 12 biscuits. I'm not sure what home baker can read that and proceed with the recipe.

Apparently I’m the only person to have never heard of Nancy Silverton but I had no clue who she was when I started this cookbook. She is supposedly a big deal in the baking world and she writes as if of course you know how impressive she is. The book is about 100 recipes for cookies, pies, cakes and such that she has tried to improve on, mostly by making them more fiddly with precious ingredients. They are probably very good recipes and seem well designed. The directions take two to three pages and are quite doable but not necessarily quick and easy.

Photos are provided for about half the recipes. No nutritional information is provided. There are no recipes for those with dietary restrictions like gluten free, dairy free or vegan.

I already have my perfect recipes for many of these and none of hers tempted me to switch, but I also have very different goals. This will likely be a good book for those who love to bake gourmet sweets (and a few savory treats) and want the best possible version of each.

I read a temporary digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

This cookbook will be in my kitchen, it is already pre-ordered. I received the e-book as an ARC but prefer the book in hand when it comes to recipes. It is a mix of classics as well as some of the authors own inventions. Easy to follow recipes and not out of this world where can I find the ingredients and tools. Directions are well written and tips throughout are helpful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

This big, detailed, book is not just about cookies, but offers a plethora of baking recipes, including a few savory ones. But the bulk is sweets—cookies, cakes, tarts, seasonal fruit desserts, and pies, with chapters also devoted to breakfast and breads. Most recipes are on the intermediate to advanced scale, with 4-5 pages devoted to each one.

There are not photographs for every recipe, but maybe 40% of them have an image. This would be a great book for a baker that's comfortable working with lots of ingredients and detailed, multi-page directions and wants to spend time learning from a baking legend.

Silverton’s tenth cookbook is an ode to the classics, incredibly well written recipes, and it is obvious that each recipe was tested many times. With detailed recipes that can span several pages, this is not a cookbook for casual home bakers but more an essential reference for serious bakers and professionals. If you want to make a classic cake, cookie, or biscuit spot-on perfect, this is the book to use!

This cookbook isn't just cookies; it provides recipes for classics like buttermilk biscuits, scones, and cinnamon rolls. The book is a handy reference guide that you will return to again and again.