The Treats Truck Baking Book: Cookies, Brownies & Goodies Galore! [Hardcover]

As a former resident of NYC, and a former weekly visitor to Sugar (a.k.a. the Treats Truck) I've been waiting impatiently for this book to come out. While baking Kim's treats myself will never be as fun as compulsively checking her location on Twitter and bouncing up to the truck's counter, it's the next best thing.

First and foremost, the recipes are spot-on. I'm not an accomplished baker, so I appreciate the tips sprinkled throughout the book. She clearly states which ingredients she uses, like unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, whole milk and large eggs. This is helpful as I don't know, for example, the difference between light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, and I find these distinctions are not always specified in other cookbooks. To date, I've made my three favorite treats: oatmeal jammies (with apricot jam), coconut macaroons, and cran-almond crispies. Prep was quick and uncomplicated, the recipe lists straightforward, and most importantly, all three turned out perfectly. I like the approach to baking as something that should be fun, simple and delicious. I also see a lot of mix-and-match options riffing off the basic recipes, which I think gives a lot of bang for your buck.

Second, the design is just terrific. Echoing a previous reviewer, props to Harper Collins for publishing a cookbook that clearly breaks through a sea of sameness in an over-saturated cookbook market. It is Kim's and the Treats Truck's philosophy to the core; anything less colorful, less quirky or less fun would have been an injustice to the Treats Truck brand. It's well laid out and the print is easy-to-read and follow. The illustrations are particularly charming; clearly the designer put a lot of love into this book and it shows.

I had a lot of expectations for this cookbook and they've all been surpassed. I plan to give out copies of this book, accompanied by a batch of oatmeal jammies, as holiday hostess gifts.

With bright colors, cute illustrations and charming names, this is a fun book to peruse.

As you can see in the list of recipes below, the book features classic desserts such as chocolate chip cookies, devil's food cake and apple pie. As the author did not add new or inventive updates or tweaks to these classics, the cookbook is probably best for people who don't already have many other baking cookbooks.

There are fewer recipes than it appears at first glance since there are base recipes that are combined with mix-ins and/or frostings and given a new name. For example, the second chapter had only one recipe; the rest were cookies from the first chapter with frosting from the fourth chapter.

While there are whimsical graphics throughout the book, there are photos of only a few of the finished treats.

The first chapter, Cookies, includes recipes for:
* Chocolate Chippers
* Peanut Butter Cookies
* Sugar Dot Sugar Cookies
* Lemony Lemon Dot Cookies
* Oatmeal Cookies: Old Fashioned, Plain Jane, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chippers
* Oatmeal Jammys
* Chocolate Cookies and Chocolate Chocolate Chippers
* Coconut Macaroons
* Cinnamon Cookies
* Pumpkin Swirl Cookies
* Gingersnaps
* Gingerbread Cookies
The author encourages readers to mix and match frostings with the cookies and offers tips about frosting and decorating.

The next chapter, Sandwich Cookies, really only includes one recipe (Caramel Crème Sanwich Cookies). The rest refer to cookies from the first chapter and frosting from the fourth chapter. For instance, the Chocolate Trucker is the Chocolate Cookies (chapter one) with buttercream:
* Caramel Crème Sandwich Cookies
* Cinnamon Sandwich Cookies
* Chocolate Truckers
* Trucker Specials
* Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
* Oatmeal Creamwich Cookies
* Raspberry Rings
* Sugar and Lemon and Apricot Sandwich Cookies
* Today's Special Sandwich Cookies

The third chapter, Brownies, Bars and Squares, features recipes such as:
* Brownies
* Brownie Specials: Peanut Butter, Caramel, Espresso
* Raspberry Brownies
* Cream Cheese Brownies
* Mexican Chocolate Brownies
* Pecan Butterscotch Brownies
* Super-Duper Layer Bars
* The Classic Rice Crispy Square
* Cran-Almond Crispy Squares
* Kitchen Sink Crispy Squares
* Apricot Squares
* Lemon Squares

The next chapter, Frostings, Fillings, Toppings, Sprinkles & Sugars, includes recipes for:
* Buttercream Frosting
* Chocolate Frosting
* Lemony Lemon Frosting
* Cream Cheese Frosting
* Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting
* Chocolate Ganache: Frosting, Filling & Topping
* Chocolate Espresso Filling & Topping
* Mint Chocolate Filling & Topping
* Peppermint Frosting
* Candy Frosting
* Coconut Frosting
* Cinnamon Frosting
* Peanut Butter Filling
* Caramel Topping
* Hot Fudge Topping
* Glazes: Lemon, Chocolate and Coffee
* Sour Cream Topping
* Whipped Cream
* Chocolate Whipped Cream
* Royal Icing
* The Magic of Meringue Wash
* Sanding Sugar and Sprinkles

The fifth chapter, Cakes & Cupcakes, features recipes for:
* Our Favorite Vanilla Cake
* Our Favorite Chocolate Cake
* Carrot Cake
* Banana Cake
* Apple Passover Cake
* Lemon Cake
* Sour Cream and Berry Cake
* Coconut Cake
* Poppy Seed Cake
* Devil's Food Cake
* Cupcakes
* Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
* Cheesecake
* Pumpkin Cake

The following chapter, Pies, includes recipes for:
* Piecrusts: Butter, Chocolate Cookie, Double Chocolate Cookie, Graham Cracker, Shortbread
* Jr. Pies
* Apple Pie
* Pecan Pie
* Pumpkin Pie
* Mixed Berry Pie
* Strawberry Pie
* Peach Pie
* Lemon Meringue Pie
* Vanilla Cream Pie
* Banana Cream Pie
* Chocolate Pie

The final chapter, Specials, features recipes daily and season specials such as:
* Nutty Coworker (oatmeal cookie dough with nuts with raisins or chocolate)
* Coconut Mitch (chocolate chipper dough with shredded coconut)
* Dessert Nachos
* Strawberry Shortcake
* Amazing Cake (suggestion to create your own cake and call it amazing - not a recipe)
* Ice Cream Sandwiches (put icecream between two cookies or in between a brownie sliced in half horizontally)
* Ice Cream Pie
* Ice Cream Cake
* Hot Chocolate
* Mexican Hot Chocolate

I didn't see any ingredients or equipment that I don't already have (or that my local grocery store doesn't stock).

I selected this title to supplement my collection of recipes for cookies and other sweets. Overall I am happy with this book but there are some things that caught me by surprise.

The idea behind this book was borne from a broader concept similar to an ice cream truck. The author decided to make a truck that is more or less a rolling bakery, containing several kinds of cookies, pies, brownies and other sweet baked goods. With the success of the "Treats Truck" has come this cookbook, showcasing several of the recipes for the items she sells on her truck.

The recipes themselves are not particularly fancy. Rather, the author has stuck close to the basics with some minor variations. If you're looking for a good no-frills chocolate cookie recipe or a traditional brownie recipe this book is for you. By her own admission the author does this deliberately - "Not too fancy, always delicious" is even printed right on the cover of the book.

Several reviewers have stated that the graphics design of this book is unpleasant. While it's...different, I think it is good if you view this book as a good entry point for younger people to start baking. It is the kind of cookbook that my kids (one of whom is a teenager) benefit from. The writing style itself matches the book design - there's an exuberance there that is a little disconcerting but conveys excitement - perfect to get the kids interested.

I have tried some of the recipes in this book and they have turned out well. I especially liked the pecan pie recipe which turned out remarkably well.

This is by no means a bad cookbook. It's a good book on baking goodies that are sure to be a hit, sticking close to the tried-and-true basics. Though better-suited to younger readers it's a fine resource.