Filed under: Books, Baking, Cookbook of the Day

So it's a new year and we're supposed to be eating healthy, right? Well part of eating healthy is learning about portion control and what better way is there to practice than by baking a batch of cookies and trying to eat just one. This could be a challenge for any cookie-lover, but it could be particularly difficult if you happen to have a copy of Nancy Baggett's The All-American Cookie Book. The book is the result of some 30,000 cookies' worth of research into the best cookies from across the country and features 150 outstanding recipes. Both standards, such as chocolate chip, and regional favorites, like Chocolate Whoopie Pies and New York Black & Whites, are included and Baggett provides plenty of history about the cookies in the volume so you'll come away with more than just a good recipe. There are plenty of mouthwatering photographs to help you choose where to start and, as we saw from the Cranberry-Cherry Icebox Ribbons the other day, the cookies actually come out looking just like the pictures. Amongst the other top recipes are Homemade Ice Cream Bars, Butter-Pecan Sandies, Hazelnut Chocolate Sandwich Cookies and Caramel Apple Crumb Bars. The book starts off with a helpful introduction that provides basic tips for cookie making and strategies to ensure that every batch goes off smoothly.

Upon further reflection, perhaps you should just hold off on making anything from the book until February, when you can feel a little less guilty about breaking a food-related resolution.