If you want to know how to make a chocolate chip cookie that doesn't run or how to cut Lemon Squares so the edges are neat, Walter (Great Cakes, Great Pies and Tarts
), winner of a James Beard Award, has just the careful advice. All of the classic American cookies are here—Hermits, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Carole's Best Brownies and Gingerbread People—as well as treats like Hamentaschen and Athena's Baklava that have been assimilated into the North American palate. Most recipes make three dozen (or more, as in Blondies), so unless you have five children, you'll be halving ingredients. Missing, too, are recipes that kids can make. However, directions are easy to follow—even on the first try, home cooks will enjoy attractive, predictable results for tidbits like Sesame Coins or Coconut Lemon-Lime Tassies. Special sections, like secrets for making Chocolate Chip Cookies, tell how to reheat cookies and explain how brown sugar provides a chewier texture. A glossary of ingredients and methods covers everything from the right temperature for ingredients to the difference between jelly roll pans and cookie sheets. Some recipes are time-consuming and require special ingredients, such as superfine sugar for Florentines or rice flour in Scotch Shortbread, and most require electric mixers or processors, resulting in more refined and reliable cookies, rather than homey creations. (Nov.)
