Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look

Throughout this otherwise lively new collection of wholesome, sophisticated baked goods, Magid uses the word ""organic"" like a cudgel-seemingly every ingredient is prefaced with the word. Though the term gets tiresome, Magid presents a measured argument for organic eggs, flours and sugars in her creations (though, puzzlingly, she has no problem with food coloring) as well as sourcing suggestions. In 60 recipes, Magid offers up crowd-pleasers like oatmeal raisin cookies and flourless chocolate almond cake, as well as homemade variations on childhood all-stars like Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies and Hostess Sno-balls. Grown-ups will swoon over her Lovely Lemon Cake with marshmallow frosting, Minty Strawberry Shortcakes and her Chocolate Love Blossom-a multilayer chocolate cake filled with vanilla whipped cream and/or a red currant curd, and covered with a rich ganache. Though the titles may sound ambitious, most recipes are more than manageable; Magid even includes an easy recipe for no-bake honey peanut dough to keep the kids busy.