Book Review

Cookies I have Loved By Julie Van Rosendaal, $20

ULIE VAN ROSENDAAL IS A

culinary legend in Alberta, a passionate advocate for good, flavourful food, a prolific cookbook writer, and a humble, down to earth person who celebrates the tasty and sometimes messy nature of the kitchen. Her latest book, “Cookies I have Loved” is in some ways, the perfect distillation of our favourite sweet treats.

Bucking the online recipe trend where every recipe needs seemingly endless pages of exposition and deep dives into history, this is a how-to guide and celebration of wonderful cookies, remarkable in its brevity. Each recipe has a small paragraph putting a little context forward, perhaps a suggestion or two, and frequently a small word or two of encouragement. This is a book about making great cookies for those that love great cookies.

This isn't a book of endless variations of essentially the same sort of cookie – but not to worry, there are several variants of the chocolate chip cookie - such gems as the ‘Ginger Molasses Crinkles’ (p.37), ‘Cocoa-Swirled Meringues’ (p.22), and to continue the great debate in my household on whether oatmeal belongs in a chocolate chip cookie, there are ‘Dad’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies’ (p.37) to go up against the ‘Thin & Chewy Chocolate Chip’ (p.47). Let the great cookie challenge of 2022 begin!

To be fair, in a book about cookies, there is a fair bit of space devoted to recipes that aren’t very cookie-like, but are you one to say that brownies don’t deserve some love in a book about sweet treats? There are a few other finger-friendly treats

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such as ‘Butter Tart Squares’ (p.67) on a shortbread base instead of a pastry. Or such lovely treats as ‘Lemon Bars’ (p.71) and the classic Canadian Favourite, ‘Nanaimo Bars’ (p.74).

Photos are wonderful throughout and everything looks delicious, but also possible for the home baker or one who might have “help” from a little one or two in the kitchen. Jeremy Fokkens is the photographer and between him and Julie Van Rosendaal, the images are encouraging and a little inspiring, but also a gentle reminder than the cookie does indeed crumble.

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Julie Van Rosendaal Julie Van Rosendaal