THE DOUGHMAKERS COOKBOOK: 100 Recipes for Success in Baking and Business

When LaPlante's son needed a project to help his Cub Scout pack raise money in 1996, she and her husband, who owned a metal-working firm, came up with the idea of making textured baking sheets in their garage for the boys to sell door-to-door. The products became such a hit that LaPlante's sister, Diane Cuvelier, soon pitched in, and along with several other family members, they created Doughmakers Bakeware, which is now a multimillion-dollar business offering pizza pans and specialty cake pans in addition to the original cookie sheets. The story of this food-loving family reads like a novel, full of ups and downs on the road to heartfelt success. But it's also a useful guide for any home cook who dreams of entrepreneurship. After telling the story of the little cookie sheet that could, LaPlante and Cuvelier share 100 recipes. Covering all manner of dough-related foods, from sweet (cookies, cakes, muffins, pies) to savory (bread, pizza), this section retains the book's homey, independent spirit. In many cases, the authors tell who gave them the recipe (as in Swedish Red Lips Cookies from LaPlante's husband's grandmother, Olga McLaughlin, or Ann Shell's prize-winning Italian Cream Cake), while other recipes are family traditions, such as Grandma Minnie's Banana Nut Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting. Doughmakers clearly deserves the success it has achieved, and loyal Doughhead fans will be delighted to put this book to work with their bakeware. (Mar.)

Forecast: Doughmakers is a sought-after brand in the baking world, so browsers' eyes might be drawn to this title in bookstores.