Cookie Swap! by Lauren Chattman

I saw advertisements for Cookie Swap! at the Book Expo this past May and knew it was one that I would be highly interested in utilizing during the holiday season. Cookies?! Yes, please. Thanks to Workman Publishing, I had an opportunity to read (and, ahem, bake) my way through it.

What makes Cookie Swap! a complete delight when it comes to discussing cookie swaps and learning new cookie recipes?

Written by Lauren Chattman, I love that she approaches this book by explaining the joys, the glories and the community that cookie swaps can unite and bring together. This book wasn't written by someone who has never done a cookie swap before and has many good, practical tips for how to pull off a successful cookie swap. By the way, thought it 'tis the season to be baking and giving, Chattman doesn't limit the ideas of cookie swaps to the holiday season only. She offers ideas, tips and suggestions for how to have a cookie swap for a baby or bridal shower, a birthday party, a summer gathering or a "just-for-the-fun-of-it" type of event.

Chattman offers numerous planning tips for how to host such a party and I particularly valued her advice in this department. Her advice is common sense, but it is stuff that I wouldn't necessary have thought through on my own (i..e, how to figure out how many cookies to ask people to bring, how to lay them out and plan ahead for take-home containers, etc.) With full colored photographs and full page spreads of photos, it is easy to catch her drift.

This book is not only about how to plan a cookie swap party however. Oh no, my friends! In this book you will find a terrific number of cookie recipes, ranging from your traditional peanut butter sort to more imaginative varieties like the gingerbread chocolate chip cookie or the chocolate and peppermint bark cookies. (Note of warning: if you make the chocolate and peppermint bark cookies, you will want to eat more than one. Don't ask me how I know this!) There are recipes for sandwich cookies, bars and even crackers.

Another excellent thing to note about this book is that she offers freezer tips as well for each recipe, telling you at what point you can freeze the dough and how long each recipe will save for without going "stale." I really like those notes in particular.

Cookie Swap! is a cookie baking treasure chest and I think it's a wealth of fabulous information.

Therefore I am tremendously pleased to announce that Workman Publishing offered a giveaway copy to one of my readers here at Reading to Know. Would you care to win? (Pshaw! How could you say no?) Simply leave a comment below. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through this coming Sunday, December 5th.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER (as selected by random.org) is #4 - Olive's mum. CONGRATULATIONS!

Thank you Workman Publishing! And to the rest of you - Merry Christmas and HAPPY BAKING this season!