Taste of Home has really created a BIG book, full of cookies and bars. This paperback is thick, glossy beautiful and full of photos of almost all the products included.
It features all types of cookies: Drop, rolled, cutter, shaped, fudgy, filled, bars etc.
The book starts with general advice on baking, storing, shipping and a problem solving section.
Next comes an absolutely excellent chart converting volume measures to weight (ounces not metric), very useful for those of us who weigh rather than measure ingredients. Of course it is somewhat of a hustle to keep converting recipes to see if they are to your taste, but at least they do include the aformentioned chart. Most books don't! This is followed by a chart of substitutions, in case you don't have on hand eg baking powder
There are hundreds of products in these pages (the book claims 623). True some recipes are similar but there is more than enough diversity here to keep everyone satisfied.
Many recipes depict comments by Taste of Home readers that have made them and this actually incides one to try their hand at them.
On the downside is the fact that many recipes use shortening rather than butter. For many years scientists and other experts have been warning against using trans fats, especially shortening, so I do not understand why a major magazine like Taste of Home would still use it in their kitchens. A homely taste HAS to also be a healthy taste. I substitude butter for the shortening in the recipes and they come out much better tasting.
It is hard to find favourites among so many hundreds of recipes so I will name only a few.
Championship cookies
Giant peanut brittle cookies
Scottish shortbread
Mocha crackle cookies
Toffee oat cookies
Mom's molasses cookies
Chippy peanut butter cookies
Monster cookies
Butterscotch cookies
Oaty cereal treats
At this price this book is a giveaway. Many lesser books cost twice as much.