Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share

by Martha Stewart, Victor Schrager

A perfect Mother’s Day gift!

Cookies are the treat that never disappoints. Whether you’re baking for a party or a picnic, a formal dinner or a family supper– or if you simply want something on hand for snacking–there is a cookie that’s just right. In Martha Stewart’s Cookies, the editors of Martha Stewart Living give you 175 recipes and variations that showcase all kinds of flavors and fancies. Besides perennial pleasers like traditional chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin, there are other sweet surprises, including Rum Raisin Shortbread, Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches with Chocolate Filling, and Lime Meltaways.

Cleverly organized by texture, the recipes in Martha Stewart’s Cookies inspire you to think of a classic, nostalgic treat with more nuance. Chapters include all types of treasures: Light and Delicate (Cherry Tuiles, Hazelnut Cookies, Chocolate Meringues); Rich and Dense (Key Lime Bars, Chocolate Mint Sandwiches, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies); Chunky and Nutty (Magic Blondies, Turtle Brownies, White Chocolate-Chunk Cookies); Soft and Chewy (Snickerdoodles, Fig Bars, Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies); Crisp and Crunchy (ANZAC Biscuits, Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti, Almond Spice Wafers); Crumbly and Sandy (Cappuccino-Chocolate Bites, Maple-Pecan Shortbread, Lemon-Apricot Sandwiches); and Cakey and Tender (Lemon Madeleines, Carrot Cake Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing).

Each tantalizing recipe is accompanied by a lush, full-color photograph, so you never have to wonder how the cookie will look. Beautifully designed and a joy to read, Martha Stewart’s Cookies is rich with helpful tips and techniques for baking, decorating, and storing, as well as lovely gift-packaging ideas in standout Martha Stewart style.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie, Culinary

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2008

About the author

Martha Helen Stewart is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising and e-commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, was the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine and hosted two syndicated television programs: Martha Stewart Living, which ran from 1993 to 2004, and The Martha Stewart Show, which ran from 2005 to 2012.
In 2004, Stewart was convicted of felony charges related to the ImClone stock trading case; she served five months in federal prison for fraud and was released in March 2005. There was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire, but in 2005 Stewart began a comeback campaign and her company returned to profitability in 2006. Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011 and became chairwoman of her namesake company again in 2012. The company was acquired by Sequential Brands in 2015. Sequential Brands Group agreed in April 2019 to sell Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, including the Emeril brand, to Marquee Brands for $175 million with benchmarked additional payments.

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A fun and comprehensive look at the cookie, there's something for every baker and cookie fan in this book. Recipes are approachable and varied and the photography is attractive. Anybody who likes to bake, or eat, cookies will enjoy this book.- Meagan M.

[mindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

the librarian made me promise to bring cookies when i return the book.
*****

okay, this book is amazing.

thank you, library, for making my decision to easy.

i NEED to own this book. it's really so so so good. i have 2 recipes to try this week before we go out of town (at Dustin's request. the cookies, are his request, not my leaving town) I have tried several Martha cookies in the past, and they all have been amazing, so i have no doubts about this book.

LOVE all the packaging ideas in the back of the book (to present cookies as gifts), and there is a great list of sources in the back, as well as popular cookie tools and techniques.

i love how the chapters are broken up into textures.

light and delicate
soft and chewy
crumbly and sandy
chunky and nutty
cakey and tender
crisp and crunchy
rich and dense

the pictures are perfect. i don't know how they consistently came up with creative ways to photograph over 175 cookies. genius.

martha, you are a genius. and i love you.
that is all.

[Malbadeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Damn you, Martha Stewart! Damn You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite character on Sesame Street has always been cookie monster. I'm a serious addict. A friend reviewed this cookie cookbook and said the chapter of contents alone did it for her. I have to admit, the chapter of contents is genius. I checked this out from the library before I bought it because I haven't had the best luck with Martha's ultra precise and exotic ingredient-ed recipes--but after trying four different cookies--I was in love! I swear each cookie was absolutely perfect and delicious. The only problem with the book is that it's so beautiful you don't want to get any dough guts or spilt milk on it. Which I promptly did on the first batch, alas.

[n · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the following:

1. Baking
2. Cookies

And this is a book entirely about baking cookies, so... score!

I remember when I first found this at Borders. I was hesitant to check it out because it was Martha. I have no problem with her personally, per se--I mean, it isn't like she ever came over and kicked my dog or anything--but I feel like a lot of times I'm expected to pay out the nose for something just because she slapped her name on it. Like the dog beds. What makes her dog bed worth $50 and this other dog bed worth $20? Is her dog bed made of clouds and gilded with solid gold? I doubt it.

I digress (and what's with all my mention of dogs?). My point is that I didn't want to support the Martha Machine, but I did want to make new and exciting cookies, so I borrowed the book from work and got cracking. Within a week, I owned a copy and it was covered in chocolate fingerprints and smeared with sugar and flour.

Have you ever had the chocolate crackles from this book? Eating them borders on a religious experience. Everyone I make them for calls them crack cookies and I don't even care that it's not some brilliant recipe I invented because I'll accept food-based adoration no matter what, and damn they are good cookies.

There are macaroons of various flavors, chocolate gingerbread cookies, pfeffernusse, windowpane cookies, cigarettes, etc. It is the best kind of food porn. And it's all organized by texture, which is just... WOW. I seriously can't think of anything better than organizing a cookie book by texture. I am dead serious here, folks. This is how you organize a cookie book.

Thanks to this book, I now have Silpat sheets, a really good rolling pin, lots of really nice measuring materials, a cookie press, and an addiction to melting chocolate.

Thanks to this book, I like Martha. (I still won't use her cookie packaging ideas, though. Why wrap them up all pretty when you can just eat them?)

[doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made a batch of snickerdoodles from the recipe in this book, and they owned! Many of the recipes featured are rather simple, which is great for those of us who don't want to hunt out some obscure ingredient or shell out oodles for a particular thing you'll only wind up using once. The photos in the book are pure cookie porn, and although I currently have this book checked out from the library, I think I need to get my own copy.

[Christina Windle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quick and dirty reciew for those that don't want the long version: This book is an essential for any cookie monster. The contents isuniquely laid out and ultra functional as are the sections of the book. There are pictures for every recipe. The recipes are varied in flavour, texture, difficulty, and cost. This book is almost flawless. Recipes to try (They're all chocolate. Wonder what I like in my cookies? :D): chocolate crackles, chocolate chip maracroons, chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies, chocolate thumbprints, chocolate cookie cutouts.

I have tried 23 recipes of the almost 175 that the book contains. There were pnly a few recipes that did not turn out or were unappetizing. Most of the rest that I would not make again were fine cookies, they just didn't interest my palette. But over half the cookies I made I would definitely make again, many were really phenominal. For a cookbook, where some hit-and-miss is to be expected, I am not surprised that Marth Stewart's Cookies manages to have so many great recipes.

The book is divided into seven sections by cookie texture: light and delicate, soft and chewy, crumbly and sandy, chunky and nutty, cakey and tender, crisp and crunchy, rich and dense. Soft and chewy, crumbly and sany, crisp and crunchy, and rich an dense are all larger chapters, and the other chapters are about half the size. I absolutely love that the book is divided this way because I generally like cookies with certain tentures, while I don't like other cookie textures. Also, having the cookies laid out by texure makes it easy to find the right kind of cookie for, say, tea time or dessert or snack. There is also a picture for each cookie in the book. I love it when there is a picture for each dish in a book. It elevates the cookbook into a real treasure, plus it's nice to see the cookies to help decide whether you think you'd make them.

There is no mini-contents within each chapter, instead just one at the beginning of the book, but it works because the contents is laid out so uniquely. Instead of a boring list of the types of cookies in the book, each section has a page or two and every cookie is photographed from the top and underneath is the name and page the recipe is found on. I love this! It is the most unique contents I have ever seen, it's beautiful, and so unique. Plus it's really handly to be able to picture-peruse a bunch of cookies at once when deciding what you want to make.

Although Martha always demands the best of the best ingredients for her recipes, which can make things a bit pricey, there were many cookies where grocery store brand ingredients could be substituted with little or no compromise on cookie quality. So many of the cookies are quite affordable to make. There are of course the medium and more pricey cookies as well, but sometimes it;s nice to treat yourself to a decadent experience, which you'll definitely get with may of the cookies in this book. There is also a range in equipment and difficulty level needed for cookies. Ther are your oh-so-basic drop and bar cookies and then there are others which need special presses or moulds (one even needs a waffle maker). There are cookies that require precision fingers and techniques to finish them off, but then there are some less difficult cookies that require only some knowledge beyond basic, so these would be good stepping-stone recipes before foraying into the uber-expert recipes. There are also cookies that can be made in under an hour and with one or two bowls and then others that involve many steps or layers and can be a bit time consuming to make (and then you have to do the dishes after).

As for cookies featured in the book, there is also quite the variety as well. You're going to get your tranditionals like chocolate chip, shortbread, rum balls, brownies. There's also a lot of traditional "foriegn-style" cookies like bratseli, fortune cookies, mexican wedding cookies, and alfajores de dulce de leche. Besides textures, there's also a variety of styles like drop, bar, meringues, cut-out, liquor-based, icebox, and sandwich. There's lots of simple flavours like chocolate, sugar, and nut-based and then cookies with interesting flavours like Earl grey, sesame, pistachio, and lime. There are also many cookie styles that are reapeated. There are several textures of chocolate chip, depending on what you like. There are also several flavours of merengue, shortbread, macaroon-style, and meltaways. I like that Martha doesn't just pick one style of certain cookies. By adding ingredients or changing the style of how the cookie is made, some basic cookies are really showcased for all the variety that they can bring to the table. I've tried a few of the shortbreads and they don't even taste like the same cookie. There is also, of course, a variety of cookies of all palettes. This is a book that parents can use to bake for their kids, that makes adult tea-time cookies, that has savoury and sweet combinations. It's clear that a lot of planning and thought went into covering all the possible variety bases they could when making this book. I'm sure that there were many great cookies that did not make the cut, and not one recipe seems redundant or just to add filler.

This is a classic cookbook for any cookie lover. I turn to it again and again. It is the only cookie book I will bake from. There were barely any flaws in this cookbook, which is a tour-de-force, easy to use, functionally laid out, and pictures with every recipe.


Recipes I have tried (starred for favourites):
*soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies
*chocolate crackles
*marcaroons (regular, chocolcate, and chocolate chip)
cream-filled chocolate sandwiches
*chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies
cashew caramel cookies
dark chocolate cookies with sour cherries
*classic shortbread
mocha shortbread wedges
*rum raisin shortbread
lime meltaways
chunky peanut, chocolate, and cinnamon cookies
rocky ledge bars
peanut butter whoopie pies
raspberry almond blondies
*cakey chocolate chip cookies
*chocolate cookie cutouts
Earl grey tea cookies
*chocolate thumbprints
*rum balls
lemon squares

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, yes, I was one of those twentysomethings who subscribed to Martha Stewart Living magazine straight out of college, tearing out recipes and scrapbooking them like precious family photos. It's no great surprise, then, that I'm delighted to be rid of those greasy pages in favor of this professional, tape-free collection of cookie recipes. And unlike some greatest hits compilations, this one actually includes all of my favorites.

Of the seven major cookie categories listed, I prefer. . . uh, many, multiple. I'm nearly equal in my benevolence. In the spirit of cookie madness, I'm highlighting the recipes I've already tried below, with their varied results.

My point? Loads of delicious recipes, ones I've been collecting for years, are now grouped droolingly in a softcover edition with gorgeous, full-color photographs next to single-page directions. Bake and enjoy.

Full review, with descriptions of more than a dozen recipes I've tried, on my blog at www.christinereads.com.

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those that don't know, any weight I put on is directly related to this book! Her recipes were fabulous! I tried a few during my pregnancy and they could have very easily become cravings that continued way beyond what cravings should last. I don't own this book, but i MUST! If you enjoy baking, are looking for some oldies but goodies, want to be tempted by great photography....this is the book for you!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every recipe I've made from this book thus far has been brilliant. I've only been making vegan versions, though-- I can't imagine how far out scrumptious the dairy filled treats are.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a kitchen staple of mine for years. There is a visual index, organized by texture, at the beginning of the book. Absolutely genius and so useful!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any truly great cookbook, there is a picture of every recipe. I especially like the feature in the front where you can see a small picture of every cookie in the chapter. Then there are pictures within the chapter of the cookies on display or cleverly packaged for gift-giving.

I haven't made any of the cookies yet (that's this weekend's project), but I plan on copying out all the ones that look good before taking it back to the library. Most of the recipes don't interest me, which is why I knew I didn't want to buy the book. A whole chapter on shortbread? Ick. I don't love cookies with tons of nuts, and I also don't want to go to ridiculous lengths to find ingredients, so there's half the cookies gone. However, there are plenty that look absolutely amazing. I'm excited to try the Lime Meltaways and some of the chocolate cookies. I discovered I like my cookies simple, without too many components.

There's something in here for everyone, and I'm ready to get baking.

Update: I've now copied about 15 recipes down, and that's about all I want to actually make. I looked at the directions for several more that looked tasty but decided they weren't worth the effort. In general, the directions are thorough, almost to the point of tedious. But then again, I suppose recipes aren't really riveting reading anyway. Martha Stewart is, as ever, detailed and meticulous. Some of the directions involve things like refrigerating the dough for an hour and then letting sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Why not just put it in the fridge for less time? Other tricks are very helpful and add that extra oomph to really make your cookies special.

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is beautiful. There are pictures of every single recipe: YES every single one. Thank goodness. It also describes specific procedures in detail with additional photos where needed, which is much more detailed than Martha's website (yes, we're on a first name basis.) Speaking of her website, this is the reason it didn't get 5 stars from me. These recipes are on her website and in her magazines...I recognized quite a few. So it really isn't new, original information, just grouped into a book. Again, this book is a bit more detailed since her recipes online are often just bare bones ingredients and mixing ingredients.

There are a lot of fancy looking cookies, so it is great for holidays, entertaining, etc. Prepare yourself for the work for some of these. They all look delicious!

So my recommendation is to get this at the library like I did. Find any that you love and bookmark them on her website. Therefore it's all free, and you can make them when you want (not having to rush before the library book is due). If you know someone who loves to bake cookies, and isn't a regular user of Martha's website, this is a GREAT gift!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the book was a pleasure to look at - 175 recipes, broken down by texture. The table of contents was unique in that it shows a small full color image of the finished cookie to aid the browsing :) Each recipe also includes a large beautifully photographed image of the finished cookie, so you know what you're aiming for when you start. While several of the recipes appear to be old favorites (meringues, snickerdoodles, macaroons, cocoa crackles, chocolate chip, classic shortbread, thumbprints, rugelach, and peanut butter, to name a few) there are still plenty to investigate and bake. My sister-in-law actually baked me up a bunch of the Lime Meltaways for Christmas last year - and I have to admit they disappeared quickly!

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I'm a little put out by this book to begin with. I used to have most of these recipes in an app that Martha Stewart released some years ago. It was a damn good app, too. Nice navigation, loaded fast, same photos as in the book. And then they stopped updating it. Not as in "they stopped adding recipes," but as in "it no longer worked with more recent iOS and MSO pulled the app rather than update it." Grrr.

That aside, it's a pretty good cookie cookbook. What I've made has turned out well, although some of the recipes are a bit sweeter than I'd like. (Apparently, I don't like baked goods as sweet as most people.) Good selection, nice organization of recipes, excellent photos.

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed by this read.

It's not chock full of great recipes for the classics - it only has some of those.

It's not grand in what it attempts - none of the recipes cried out "this will blow your guests' socks off!".

It's just a long list of "Well I know how to make shortbread, guess I'll try this slightly different version of shortbread".

It also wastes a lot of pages on how to put cheap ribbons and disposable plastic around your cookie boxes for gifting. Feels very much like it came out in 1954, not 2008. Very off-putting. You can enjoy baking cookies without being a doting house-wife in a frilly apron.

[Jodi-Lee Kaemingk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too Pretentious....if that can even be said for a cookbook about cookies.

[Satheesh Kumar V · Rating 1 out of 5]

How to open this book I am searching in good reads

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best cookie cookbook ever. Best. Ever.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share" is a divine collection of sweet temptations that captures the essence of Martha Stewart's baking expertise. With her signature style and attention to detail, this cookbook is a treasure trove of delectable cookie recipes that will delight both bakers and cookie lovers alike.

From the first page, the book exudes elegance and sophistication, reflecting Martha Stewart's passion for creating not just delicious treats, but also beautifully presented masterpieces. Each recipe is a celebration of the art of baking, with meticulous instructions that ensure every cookie is baked to perfection.

What sets "Martha Stewart's Cookies" apart is its wide range of cookie varieties, catering to every craving and occasion. From classic chocolate chip cookies to delicate French macarons, there's a cookie for every taste and mood.

The cookbook's layout is both inviting and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate through the diverse collection of recipes. The stunning photography captures the allure of each cookie, enticing bakers to recreate these edible works of art in their own kitchens.

Beyond the recipes, "Martha Stewart's Cookies" is a testament to the joy of sharing homemade treats with loved ones. The book offers charming packaging and gifting ideas, making it the perfect companion for creating heartfelt gifts that warm the hearts of family and friends.

With Martha Stewart's guidance, bakers of all levels can achieve cookie perfection and embrace the joys of baking. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a novice in the kitchen, this cookbook empowers you to create cookies that are not only scrumptious but also a delightful reflection of your creativity.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Read: Sure. There’s not a lot to read, just short descriptions of each cookie. After the recipes, there is a tips section that has pretty helpful information. And since this is Martha Stewart, there are even some craft projects that will help you with packaging and sharing your cookies.

To Look At: Yes. Each recipe is accompanied by a photo. The tips section also has great photos to clearly demonstrate the steps for making each type of a cookie. Even if you aren’t crafty, the packaging section has some nice photos that can give you ideas of how to present your cookies.

To Cook From: I think so. The Mini Black-and-White Cookies were not a success, but the Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies were. Also, I have made the Gingerbread-White Chocolate Blondies at Christmas for years, and they are a family favorite. With 175 recipes in this book, I doubt everyone is going to be a winner, but there were many more recipes that looked worth trying.

Martha Stewart’s Cookies has the recipes divided by “light and delicate,” “soft and chewy,” “crumbly and sandy,” “chunky and nutty,” “cakey and tender,” “crisp and crunchy,” and “rich and dense.” In addition, all of the categories with photos of each cookie and the page numbers are listed in the beginning of the book. This allows you to browse by picture, not just name, which I think is a nice feature.

Overall, I think this is a good comprehensive cookie cookbook, and I can’t wait to try out some more recipes. I already have friends offering to be my taste-testers. LOL

[Evelyn Sessions · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cookie book was a pretty big disappointment after the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. So many of the cookie recipes are unnecessarily complicated or contain weird flavors that hardly anyone likes. Sometimes, simplicity is best, especially for cookies, where flavors can get overwhelming very quickly. Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti? Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Chestnut Cream? Hazelnut Orange Shortbread? Pear Pistachio Ginger Blondies? Stop overly complicating a basic cookie! Lots of cookies featured in her book included bizarre ingredients such as lime, nuts, cream cheese, coconut, passion fruit, dates, peppermint, cornmeal, etc.

I did try a few of her…more appealing recipes, and they turned out great! Stewart’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Sandwiches and Double Chocolate Brownies were so good. If the whole book was filled of more classic recipes, it would be amazing. I understand if there are a few cookies with unusual ingredients, but not 3/4 of them!

[Charlie Easterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it's Martha Stewart, so there's an eternal air of hyper-perfection and sort of enthusiasm for flavors and appearances that maybe aged out of most people's lives a half century ago. I always laugh when I see things like her Bat Dulce de Leche and imagine her and her editor saying "look, we want some whimsy, but let's not go CRAZY here. These cookies with a vaguely shaped bat cutout are all we can afford in the wild and weird category".

Ultimately, there's some good cookie recipes in here. Also ultimately, it's got a lot of stuff clearly meant for the palette of an older WASPy person living out retired bliss in a charming faux farmhouse in Connecticut. Is that bad? Not necessarily, but it does translate to just an insane amount of shortbread and bizarre enthusiasm for the inclusion of figs and/or walnuts.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookie treasury is wonderful to have on hand, whether to bake from or even just to peruse. The treats are categorized by texture, which I think is brilliant, and each one has simple, clear directions accompanied by a tempting photograph. Every recipe I’ve made from this book has turned out scrumptious; two that stick out in my mind are the “Ginger Cheesecake Bars” and the “Fruit and Nut Cookies.” The variety is just wonderful, as there is a cookie here for every occasion and every taste! I haven’t read Martha Stewart’s more recent publication Cookie Perfection (I might check that out eventually), but regardless, this cookbook is highly recommended.

Also recommended: Martha Stewart's Cakes

[Dan Stern]

Just to see Martha Stewart's name on the front of the book and I am sold to it! I only made two recipes so far and been very pleased with the results. I first bought Martha Stewart Pies and Tarts cookbook recommended by a solid reference here in Québec, Ricardo Larrivée. He considers Martha as a prime reference to his liking cooking!! Do not hesitate and buy this book that you will probably use many times during the year.

[Vivian Pena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of cookie recipes

This cookbook has so many delicious cookie recipes for every occasion. The photos are also amazing. I highly recommend for either a beginner or experienced baker.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book for at least ten years now (since I got it when it was still fairly new) and I still find myself coming back to it to make treats for family and friends. It is my go-to baking guide! Surprisingly, since it is a cookie book, I find myself most using Stewart's brownie recipes.

[Elijah Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex and deeply moving. The author skillfully tackles difficult subjects without making the story feel heavy or overwrought. The emotional depth and raw honesty of the characters make this a powerful, unforgettable read.

[Flossmoor Public Library (IL) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

- Ms. Jenn

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Cookbook. And Awesome Recipes.