Mom's Big Book of Cookies: 200 Family Favorites You'll Love Making and Your Kids Will Love Eating

Dessert maven Chattman (Icebox Desserts, The Cereal Lover's Cookbook) returns with a winning collection of kid-friendly cookie recipes, focusing on ""what the kids are going to enjoy most, and then getting messy and having fun."" She offers over a dozen variations on the classic chocolate chip cookie (including ""Black Forest Chocolate Chip""), and other favorites such as oatmeal and peanut butter are given multiple variations as well. Brownies and bars round out the collection. Written with the busy parent in mind, Chattman includes a number of quick and easy recipes such as Almond Joy Cookies and a basic, buttery Shortbread. She also includes a handful of recipes that require just a few ingredients, such as Instant Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, which don't require flour, sugar, baking powder or salt, minimizing the mess. Recipes are clear, easy to follow and include steps kids can perform by themselves. An imaginative and expansive collection of holiday-themed recipes such as Abraham Lincoln Stovepipe Hats and Bird's Nest Cookies with Easter Eggs expand on the fun. Most recipes are within the reach of inexperienced bakers, although building that ""Candy-Covered Gingerbread House"" might call for a pair of well-practiced baking hands-but of course, with these projects, you can always eat the mistakes.