| * A Baker's Field Guide to
Christmas Cookies, by Dede Wilson (Harvard Common Press, $14.95). This
compact, colorful book will become your indispensable guide to holiday
cookies. Color photos of each cookie are especially useful when making
something for the first time, and symbols tell you at a glance whether
the cookie freezes or stores well, is kid-friendly or is especially
fast, and whether it's sturdy enough to mail. The tips section includes
ideas for mailing cookies and hosting a cookie exchange.
* Baking 9-1-1: Rescue From Recipe Disasters, by Sarah Phillips
(Fireside, $14). How do I halve a recipe that calls for three eggs? Why
are my cookies flat and crispy? Phillips answers these and other
questions she has heard often as founder of Baking911.com.
Chapter topics include cheesecakes, cookies and pies, with recipes for
each.
* The Kids' Holiday Baking Book: 150 Favorite Dessert Recipes From
Around the World, by Rosemary Brown (St. Martin's Griffin, $15.95): If
your kids have mastered cake mix and are ready to move up the baking
ladder, this is the book to get. Brown, food editor at the New York
Daily News, offers sophisticated, from-scratch recipes for 18 holidays.
Besides the biggies like Christmas and Halloween, kids will learn about
lesser-known holidays, such as Diwali, an Indian festival that marks the
start of winter.
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