Cute for Kids, But Redundant for Adults
Pros: basic recipes, light and small
Cons: bad layout, very basic
The Treats Truck Baking Book was inspired by the Treats Truck, a mobile treat vendor in New York City. The sweets dispensed by the Treats Truck are very popular, hence the cookbook. The recipes include a whole slew of cookies and bars, with some more complicated treats (cakes and pies) closing out the book. The book itself is relatively small (only about 8"x6"), and it's light enough to toss around in the kitchen. The fonts, illustrations, and colors would probably be appealing to a child, but are much too loud and garish for an adult's cookbook. In fact, I found they were incredibly distracting.
The recipes in the book are generally good, but there is a lot of repetition, and the cookies are pretty basic. Most of the recipes in the filled cookies chapter are just renamed versions of their plain cousins in the previous chapter. These recipes aren't anything new or exciting; every cookie recipe book to date has tread this path already.
Overall, I think this book would be great for a parent who is trying to get his or her children involved in the kitchen. They'll love the bright colors and clear instructions. For more experienced bakers, there's not much here that you haven't seen before.
Chocolate Chippers
Makes 1 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well as you go. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the dough into round drops (big or little, you decide!) with a spoon or an ice cream scoop and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or longer as needed or desired. Remember that the cookies will continue to bake a bit after they come out of the oven. If you like them soft or crispy, you may vary the time accordingly.
7. Let the cookies cool (if you can resist!) before moving them from the baking sheet.
