Back in December, we held a Cookbook Club cookie exchange and each baked several varieties from Martha Stewart's Cookies. I originally picked up the book a few years ago, when I ran out of ideas for different types of cookies to make. Despite repeatedly using the book for inspiration, I had never actually baked any of the recipes as written.
There are 175 cookie recipes in the book, grouped into categories like "light and delicate" and "chunky and nutty." The reason I initially bought the book is the unique layout on pages 7-17 - each of the 175 cookies, grouped by category, is photographed from above with the name and page number of the recipe below. It's an excellent way to browse the many recipes in the book, and even better for deciding exactly which kind of cookie you're craving.
So, good friends, lots of cookies, and recipes from the woman Oprah calls "America's Homemaking Queen" - what could go wrong?