Good Housekeeping Holiday Cookies

November 10, 2023

Gr 3-8-This festive holiday guide for kids is packed with a wide variety of Christmas-related facts, activities, crafts, and recipes. The book is divided into three main sections: Celebrate, Craft, and Bake. "Celebrate" features information about traditions around the world; the history of trees, ornaments, and Santa; an advent calendar of activities families can do together, and more. "Craft" includes a wide range of ornaments and decorations kids can make, such as button snowmen, 3D paper snowflakes, and a colorful wreath made from a box of 96 crayons. It also includes instructions on wrapping presents and tying bows. "Bake" features a variety of holiday cookies, cakes, cupcakes, gingerbread houses, and drinks. Although there are photos of each of the completed crafts and food items, they don't all include step-by-step illustrations, so kids may find it difficult to follow some of the written instructions on their own. A few projects require fairly specialized craft supplies, such as birch circles and gold luster dust, as well as tools-hot glue guns, sewing supplies, and food processors-which may require adult assistance. A few simpler crafts and recipes, such as banana snowmen and thumbprint Christmas cards, will work better for younger kids. The book includes a comprehensive index. Some projects also provide a QR code that links to printable templates. VERDICT As many of the recipes and crafts may require adult supervision and help, this is an eye-catching, fun, and informative book for families to enjoy together during the holidays.-Ashley Larsen

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 21, 2024
This colorful but somewhat skimpy collection of treats offers up breezy tips for a tasty holiday season. “Classic Cookies” include linzer stars and giftable shortbread bites with a variety of glaze options. There’s also the less familiar Persian Nan-e Berenji, made with rice flour, cardamom, and rosewater, and Chinese almond cookies. The “Traditions with a Twist” chapter features sourdough snickerdoodles and chai tea cut out cookies. Things get a bit more elaborate in “Showstopping Sweets,” which includes extensive instructions for gingerbread house construction and pumpkin spice cookies cut and decorated with butter cream to look like yule logs. Easy “Not Quite Cookie” recipes provide hurried home cooks with hacks for enhancing ready-made ingredients, like dipping store-bought madeleines in melted chocolate. A final chapter covers vegan and gluten-free options. Frustratingly, many of these recipes require special equipment, including food processors and cookie presses, which is often not indicated until the step at which these items come into play. Instead of an equipment or pantry list, there’s unnecessary filler about how to host “the perfect cookie swap” party with such obvious advice as to send invitations “3 to 4 weeks before.” It’s not perfect, but the range of sweets on offer means this still has plenty of appeal.