The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook

The only thing more exciting than getting a package in the mail, is opening that package to discover it contains The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook

Within the first five minutes of flipping through those exciting, gorgeous pages I made a variety of very important discoveries: 

1. Eggless cookie dough. Eggless. As in I can make a batch of cookie dough, put a quarter of it towards a recipe and eat three quarters of it without risking getting sick thanks to the raw egg component. Sheer. Genius. 

2. Although we have never met, author of not only this cookbook, but also the voice behind Love and Olive Oil, Lindsay Landis totally gets me. Why or how you may ask? For years, I have endured the whole, "You know that's not really breakfast?" or "Seriously, tell me that's not all you're having..." nonsense, upon making cookies a standard part of the first meal of the day. Instead of smiling and continuing to eat my cookies, I can avoid this all together! From now on, I have options. I can hide my cookies in French Toast, in a cinnamon roll, in waffles in all sorts of "typical" breakfast items! 

3. Cookie Dough is not limited to a future of becoming a cookie. What?! You know that whole, "when you grow up you can be whatever you want to be," speech we've heard at some point? Well Lindsay made this applicable to cookies! They don't have to simply be scooped onto a baking sheet anymore. They can be cakes, sandwiches, truffles, pies, brulee, donuts, even granola bars! The possibilities are seemingly endless.

4. Remember my excitement over pizza muffins? Yeah, Lindsay totally surpassed that level of awesomeness in four words. Cookie Dough Dessert Pizza. Wow.

Beyond those initial few minutes worth of discoveries there was even more to love!

So rarely is there a cookbook where I want to make every recipe. Literally, every. Single. Recipe. And while many who look at the title or concept behind it may believe it to be one dimensional, it truly is anything but. This isn't just another cookie anthology, streamlined for the cookie lover, with a few alterations to each recipe but inevitably a cookie at the end. This cookbook will take you from snacks to desserts to indulgent breakfasts embedding cookie dough among ingredients right in there with the flour and butter you'd expect. The cookie dough recipe itself comes with a handful of variations, so if you want to experiment beyond the traditional chocolate chip variety, you're given the means to do so! Add to that syrups and sides to supplement your creations and you have a comprehensive cookbook ready to put into work!

Before embarking on these fantastic recipes, just make sure you have some time to set aside. A few of the recipes help you to break down the steps into different days to help assembly run smoothly, however plenty of the recipes require at least a few hours of commitment. The cookie dough itself takes approximately 15 minutes to whip up, but you'll have to add that to the time needed to make cinnamon buns or a cake. The recipes have an active and total time gauge at the very top helping you decide what's great for a quick snack and what needs a bit more dedication. The extra time may seem daunting but it's definitely worth it and no longer than you'd expect for most cakes, yeast dough etc.

The entire cookbook is beautifully photographed by Lindsay herself, a feature which I believe speaks volumes as to the quality and voice you'll come to discover on each page. Her enthusiasm, passion and clear skill with cookie dough is as visible in her crisp and engaging photos as it is in each recipe itself. The short introduction preceding each recipe is written in a clear and friendly tone, frequently eliciting either a laugh or an exclamation of, "exactly!" You're not given endless facts or dry information, rather it's as if you're discussing a recipe with a friend, touching on the ingredients, inspiration and tips pertaining to what you're about to bake with a few puns and tips thrown in here and there. It isn't often that the acknowledgments page in a cookbook is included as one of my favorite parts, but between the raisin and dishwashing sentiments, I was hooked and knew this was my kind of cookbook.

The Key Ingredients section includes tips on substitutions (note the salt tip!), locating ingredients and general usage tips. These tips extend into each recipe, in the form of a "Quick Tip" ranging from presentation to substitutions and techniques. As far as equipment goes, it's pretty much everything you'd expect you'd need to make cookies. For the home baker, you're very likely to already own all of them already! One should note however, that the ice cream section requires the use of an ice cream maker (an investment I've yet to make) making that part a bit tricky.

This is a fantastic resource for both the novice and expert baker. The recipes are such, that the level of expertise is accessible to all while the final products are deceivingly elaborate. For the kosher baker, you'll be happy to know that there are few adaptations needed to satisfy the kashrut requirements for all of the recipes! With the exception of swapping out a few ingredients to make the recipes pareve (soy milk, margarine etc.) you're set! It's a fantastic addition to your cookbook shelf and completely accessible!

I am extremely happy with the recipes I've made so far. The directions were clear, comprehensive, yet concise enough that I didn't need to read through them more than once. The quality of the results is fantastic. You're not left with a repetitive flavor at all - somehow the cookie dough blends perfectly into each of the recipes and enhances them, contributing to their flavors, yet not overpowering them. The Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls are worth buying this whole book for. Definitely my new favorite recipe.

Overall, this is an adorable book that is sure to make you smile before you even open it! Reading the table of contents will only bring forth more excitement and I'd guess that by the time you're through the first section you've already compiled a list of treats you want to make right away! Make sure you have plenty of flour and chocolate chips on hand, pour yourself a glass of milk and open this book and get ready to celebrate (& nourish!) your inner cookie dough lover!

Disclaimer: I was kindly provided a copy of this wonderful cookbook to review by Quirk Books. The opinions and views expressed in my review are completely my own.