BOOK REVIEW! The Cookiepedia: Mixing, Baking and Reinventing the Classics - Stacy Adimando

I've developed a soft spot (burning passion) for 'themed' books. By this I mean whole books which are dedicated to one subject alone e.g. macarons, mallows and, as it turns out, biscuits too.

Title: The Cookiepedia. An amalgamation of 'cookie' and 'encyclopaedia'. 

I'll start by making reference to the cover. Do you like it? I like the 'recycled' look of it. Whereas I like to think that I'm a particularly methodical person in the kitchen, my stained cookbooks (and sticky floors) scream otherwise. It seems as if I'm (unknowingly) quite messy - and, whilst I tend to run around in fits of abstraction every time I dirty a book, this one feels particularly invincible.

The overall presentation is fantastic. I'm sure you've noticed the ring bound spine. As a result, following the recipes inside is so convenient. I get flustered when books slap shut. I'm lying. I hate it when the books which I am referring to slap shut the minute I turn my back on them. People need their hands when baking and as I haven't yet trained any pet to hold the relevant pages down, a spiral bound book thus seems to be the perfect and logical solution.

Next? Content. A big thumbs up! Adimando sections the book into different 'types' ('buttery', 'chocolatey', 'fancy', 'fruity', 'spicy', 'nutty and seedy') and each recipe encourages variations of some sort, be it in relation to the ingredients (and therefore, to the overall flavour) or to the final presentation (e.g. 'supersizeing' the cookies, glazing them, or simply sandwiching two together with a filling of choice.) 'The Cookiepedia' thus encourages readers to play around with the recipes and even includes a few lines for adding ones own notes. I'll be honest. This book is a little bit addictive. The different cookies are presented in such a way that guarantees creative cookie related thoughts for hours at a go. It almost made me want to ditch my studies and become a full-time biscuit maker. Almost.

I'm really pleased with The Cookiepedia - the recipes range from simple to complex and all methods are particularly easy to follow. Have you come across this book? I'd like to know!