Crumbs
OPC (other people's cookies) continues with a recipe from Ben Mims' new book
Well, we are two weeks out from our house fire, and feeling luckier than ever as the trauma of that night starts to fade.
We moved into a rented house, courtesy of the insurance company, and it’s easy to forget what a mess everything is when you don’t have to go through two or three zippered doorways because you forgot something in the other room.
We have been back to our house nearly every day since to grab more things that we’ve needed, and luckily it’s only about 15 minutes away. We are in a lull before the reconstruction begins. We’ve really been so fortunate, and I’m trying to keep that in mind amidst the chaos. I’m viewing this all as an opportunity to make a few cosmetic changes to our house, and looking forward to returning home in the spring, which is of course an excellent time for renewal and new beginnings.
I wanted to thank all of you who sent me your heartfelt messages after my last post, including those new subscribers (lots of you this week, thank you!) who also sent me lovely notes. They really meant a lot to me.
A few weeks ago, I included a little baking book gift guide and one of the titles was Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World, by Ben Mims. From the moment I saw this book, I was very excited to get my hands on it. First of all, it is devoted to my favorite subject, COOKIES. Is there anything more wonderful than a cookie?
Ben’s book is a thoroughly researched tome that’s essentially a geographically-arranged, deep dive into cookies from across the globe. It’s hard to imagine getting more information on the origins of the cookies of every region of the world anywhere else. This is definitely not the kind of thing you can just Google. It seems he’s left no stone unturned, and I know I’ll be referring to this book often.
What really strikes me the most about this book is that it’s proof that everyone the world over LOVES cookies. They can be made in any size kitchen, with pantry ingredients, in a short time. They are the most low-effort, high reward kind of culinary pursuit there is.
I highly recommend this book as a gift for any baker, including yourself. This is bedtime cookbook reading at its best. Unfortunately, we don't have a copy to give away today, but I am sharing Ben’s recipe for “Chokladsnittar” (Chocolate Slice Cookies). These are super easy, and as Ben says in the headnote, they are brownie-like and perhaps an influence on American brownies. Ben’s recipe calls for using a hand mixer, but I used a stand mixer because I don’t have a hand mixer, and that worked out just fine.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing. Thanks for being here!
More cookie inspo!
There’s still time for holiday baking! I have long believed that there’s no better gift than a cookie box. Several years ago, I got to dream up an assortment of particularly gift-worthy cookies while working on one of my favorite assignments ever: developing and styling “12 Stunning Cookies That Will Impress Everyone You Know” for the Sunday edition of The New York Times.
Click here to explore the interactive digital feature, and to get the recipes. They’re only accessible if you’re a subscriber to NYT Cooking, but I have some gift links for you, my lovely readers:
If you’re looking for more last-minute recipes, the Susanality Cookie Index is here for you, too!
I’m curious: what’s your favorite cookie to gift? Tell me in the comments!
