Cookies

The New Classics: A Baking Book

About the Book

100 bold cookie recipes that take the gold-star standards beyond what you’ve ever known

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Food52, Salon, The Kitchn • “Jesse Szewczyk is nothing short of a cookie mastermind.”—Food52 

Move beyond the same-old chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal cookies with Jesse Szewczyk’s collection of 100 brand-new, boldly flavored, and intriguing yet familiar recipes. Sophisticated and approachable—many don’t even require an electric mixer—these new classics are divided into chapters by flavors and attributes such as Chocolaty, Boozy, Fruity, Smoky, and Savory.

Unexpected combinations like Malted Brownie Biscotti, Key Lime Pie Meringues, Smoked Butter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Chewy Blueberry Muffin Sugar Cookies, and Pretzels & Stout Cookie Bars will become your go-to treats for stealing the show 
at bake sales, gift exchanges, and holiday cookie swaps. Jesse’s trustworthy recipes and pro baking advice deliver sweet satisfaction to anyone looking to up their cookie game.
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Praise for Cookies

“Whether you’re craving a cookie that is chocolaty or savory, an easy recipe or one that is a bit more challenging, nothing will prepare you for the imaginative and sweet world Jesse Szewczyk creates in Cookies: The New Classics.”—Andy Baraghani, senior food editor at Bon Appétit

“Jesse is a master baker and has a sense of style and sophistication that is boldly evident in every recipe. This is the most beautiful book I have seen in a long time. I tore through each chapter salivating on page after page. The energy in the photography is electrifying and elevates an already scrumptious cookie to the level of art. I can’t wait to eat my way through this book!”—Rick Martínez, James Beard Award–nominated recipe developer, host, and cookbook author

“Jesse Szewczyk is as brilliantly creative as he is skilled in the kitchen—a killer combination that sets the stage for this unique and exciting collection of recipes. If you’re looking to level-up, dress-up, and generally one-up standard cookies, this book is for you.”—Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book on Pie

“Just when you think you’ve seen all the cookies, Jesse gives us these! What a magical, bright, unique, delicious collection of sweets. Jesse has pulled out all the stops here, and our bellies will be happier for it!”—Molly Yeh, cookbook author and Food Network host

“A splendid treasure of a cookbook for cookie lovers. It will whet your appetite and also inspire your creativity.”—Nik Sharma, author of The Flavor Equation

“Jesse Szewczyk’s approach to cookie-baking is innovative, tantalizing, and irresistible. This book does more than upgrade the quintessential cookie classics—it completely reinvents them. The avant-garde photography captures the edible ephemeral of the spirited recipes. Jesse transforms our kitchens into playgrounds—from malted to marbled to mocha, there’s a cookie for everyone.”—Vallery Lomas, author of Life Is What You Bake It and winner of The Great American Baking Show

“This book is a mood, and the recipes are destined to be on constant rotation in your kitchen. The biggest challenge is deciding what to bake first. For me, that's Bananas Foster Chocolate Chunk Cookies then on to Red Wine Brownie Cookies because happy hour and baking were made for each other.”—Brian Hart Hoffman, editor-in-chief of Bake from Scratch
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Excerpt

Cookies

Introduction

When I first set out to write a cookie book, I struggled to figure out what I could add to the conversation that hadn’t already been said. With so many chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and gingersnap recipes already out in the world, what was the point in creating more? If I wanted to bake snickerdoodles, I could easily track down an already perfected recipe. If a chocolate chip cookie was what I was after, a plethora of recipes were mine for the choosing. I realized that what I wanted to do was not to mimic what had already been done but, instead, to focus on creating a new set of recipes—a collection of cookies that pay homage to familiar favorites, but with a modern spin. I wanted to create a new set of classics.

This is how I approached writing Cookies. Within these pages you will find 100 unapologetically modern-yet-familiar recipes that promise to redefine your favorite go-to cookies, as well as introduce you to new ones to crave. Like spiced snickerdoodles made with the flesh of roasted sweet potatoes (page 180), or chocolate chunk cookies perfumed with fresh peppermint (page 37). From Cashew Caramel Cookies (page 132) to decadent Salt-and-Vinegar Potato Chip Cookies (page 169), these recipes move beyond the holy cookie trinity of chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal and
add excitement to your baking repertoire. Everything from sugar cookies, blondies, thumbprint cookies, and no-bake bars are included, all complete with instructions that will guide you toward cookie-baking success. If like me you bake cookies for the excitement of trying something new, this is the perfect book for you.

The recipes are classified into eight chapters, each named after the dominant flavor of the cookies included: Chocolaty, Boozy, Fruity, Nutty, Tart, Spiced, Smoky, and Savory. This is exactly how I decide what I want to bake, allowing whatever flavor I’m craving to guide my decision. Within these chapters you will find familiar favorites updated with bold flavors. Take, for example, the Smoked Butter & Chocolate Chunk Cookies (page 206) in the Smoky chapter. At its core the recipe is a timeless classic, but adding a modern flourish (in this case, the alluring scent of applewood smoke) creates something that is equal parts comforting and fresh. For cookies that will awaken the senses, look no further than the Spiced chapter. Spiced Peanut Butter–Coconut Squares (page 203) demonstrate that you can make something bold and playful without even turning on your oven. Closing out the book is the Savory chapter, a collection of salty-leaning cookies perfect for serving at a cocktail party. As modern and inventive as the recipes are, they all evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort as only a freshly made cookie can.

But if you’re worried that the recipes sound complicated, don’t be. Every recipe is developed to be easy to execute. I believe that baking cookies should be fun, stress-free, and rewarding. Everyone deserves to make cookies that are exciting and unique, and that’s precisely what this book will help you do—in fact, I hope that as you bake a batch of Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies (page 92) you feel like a friend is right there by your side, talking you through the recipe and passing on all the tips and tricks. So, say good-bye to cookies that leave you wanting—and hello to your new collection of classics.

About the Author

Jesse Szewczyk
Jesse Szewczyk is a food writer and recipe developer based in New York. He graduated from The Culinary Institute of America and has had work published in Bake from Scratch, BuzzFeed, Food52, The Kitchn, Honest Cooking, Tasty, and several other publications. More by Jesse Szewczyk
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