This week: The perfect sugar cookie, cookbook store deals, giveaways, and more!

Every holiday season, I make a promise to myself that I will take my time and make perfectly decorated cookies. Back in New York, I actually had a small business, baking and decorating cookies, cakes, and other baked goods but that was long ago when I was younger and full of hope. Each year I have delusions of grandeur that I will have the time to create works of art such as these stunners from Bake at 350.

After working, cleaning, cooking, and baking a variety of cookies and treats, and attempting to brush my hair and teeth (at least most days during December), I end up with decorated cookies that look like this sample pictured below from last year. Hey, at least the star is near the top of the tree.

When I was younger (seven years ago!), my cookies looked “reasonable to look at”. My sugar cookies do get rave reviews for taste and texture. I use the Wilton roll-out cookie recipe that I doctor up. I always use real vanilla in my cookies and I prefer a poured type of icing as it sets up great and tastes so much better than royal icing – I add vanilla to the icing as well. I also use powdered sugar to roll out the cookies so they don’t become too “floury”.

Our Library has a selection of cookie decorating books by popularity and I recommend following the Bake at 350 blog which we index for our members. Adding Bridget’s blog to your bookshelf gives you over 800 great baking recipes to peruse. There are a dozen online recipes for “roll out cookies” and over 1600 recipes (online recipes) for “sugar cookies”. I want to try chocolate sugar cookies this year, too.

Other recipes:

• Stella Park’s best rolled out sugar cookie recipe
• Sally’s Baking Addiction – the best rollout sugar cookies
• Alton Brown’s sugar cookie
• Classic sugar cookie
• Best rolled sugar cookie recipe

Please share in the comments your favorite roll-out sugar cookie recipe. I am open to experimenting.

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The last week on the blog

Since our last roundup, Darcie has written articles entitled:

• David Chang wins $1 million for charity
• Great British Bake Off – Recap – Weeks 9 and 10 (Darcie and I shared our thoughts on the final episodes)
• Making the case for instant coffee
• Get off my self-cleaning oven!
• Bon Appetit embroiled in another diversity controversy

Darcie’s weekly food news antipasto is shared every Sunday #foodnews brings up these information-packed posts from the most current to the first one.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared:

• Christmas Cookie Challenge – Airing of Grievances
• Worldwide Bookstore Global Events, Discounts and More
• 2020 Gift Guide for the cookbook lover and cook & an Emile Henry tagine holiday giveaway (2020 baker’s gift guide)

Giveaways have been posted for 

• Christmas with Kim-Joy
• Modern Comfort Food, Kuhn Rikon Vegetable Peeler & Schmidt Bros. Cutlery Set Giveaway
• Dumplings and Noodles

Other articles of interest:

• Best cookbooks of Fall/Autumn 2020 – Jenny edition
• The Kindle cookbook and holiday deals and 2021 cookbook preview are being updated frequently.
• Ideas on how EYB can work better for you
• It’s the most wonderful time of the year – cookie time! includes links to cookie roundups, recipes, and more.

Jenny and the EYB Team

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Featured Recently Indexed Titles

• The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell
• Ana Ros: Sun and Rain by Ana Roš Please remember Eat Your Book members receive 30% off Phaidon titles when using the link provided.
• Gather & Graze: 120 Favorite Recipes for Tasty Good Times by Stephanie Izard and Rachel Holtzman
• To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories from the Heart by Hetty McKinnon
• Everyday Fresh: Meals in Minutes by Donna Hay
• The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food by Marcus Samuelsson
• The Mexican Home Kitchen: Over 75 Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico by Mely Martinez
• Alpine Cooking: Recipes and Stories from Europe’s Grand Mountaintops by Meredith Erickson
• The Pastry Chef’s Guide: The Secret to Successful Baking Every Time by Ravneet Gill
• World Food: Mexico City: Heritage Recipes for Classic Cooking by James Oseland
• Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason by Julia Bainbridge

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Member Photo of the Week

Asparagus and gochujang pancakes from Ottolenghi Flavour / Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ixta Belfrage and Tara Wigley submitted by member raybun

Have you uploaded any of your own photos yet? Learn more! Please remember to update your profile with your Instagram name if you would like to be tagged in any photos that we share!

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Featured Online Recipe

Chubby rocco cookies from The Kitchn by Joanne Chang

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EYBDigital Previews

Recently we uploaded our 829th EYBDigital Preview where a selection of full sample pages is available for the following cookbooks.

Learn more about EYBDigital Previews.

Note: To learn why you cannot add all EYBDigital Preview recipes to your Bookshelf, please read this Help page.

• A selection of pages from Cook the Mountain: The Nature Around You by Norbert Niederkofler
• 3 recipes from The Farmer’s Daughter Bakes: Cakes, Pies, Crisps and More for Every Fruit on the Farm by Kelsey Siemens
• A selection of images from Sant Ambroeus: The Café Cookbook: Light Lunches, Sweet Treats, and Coffee Drinks from New York’s Favorite Milanese Café by Sant Ambroeus
• 3 recipes from Coconut & Sambal: Recipes from My Indonesian Kitchen by Lara Lee

Cookbook Giveaways
Click on the Bold Blue Link Below to Enter

• Enter our worldwide giveaway to win an autographed copy of Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women by Anna Francese Gass. Expires December 11th, 2020
• Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of two copies of Baking with Licker: Home Baking with Asian Accents with Jason Licker. Expires December 19th, 2020
• Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three copies of Loaf Story: A Love Letter to Bread, with Recipes by Tim Hayward with one grand prize winner receiving a Challenger Bread Pan. Expires December 21st, 2020

*Publishers thank us for our continued patience while awaiting the arrival of prizes as warehouses are not operating at full capacity yet and it appears things will only get slower as the winter season takes hold. The cookbook giveaway roundup shares all current giveaways.

View Past Weekly Roundups