Just be brave and remember you are the boss. Maida Heatter

{HISTORY}

Perhaps the best-loved American baker of the 20th century, Maida Heatter (1916-2019) credited her claim to fame by the fact that she was never formally trained. She went at recipes with heart, curiosity and a level of perfectionism that made her not only an outstanding baker but also an excellent instructor as well. As a self-taught baker herself, she didn't take for granted the fact that many people found baking intimidating or complicated and in that vein her cookbooks are explicit in instruction, as Maida wanted everyone to be just as successful at baking as she had become. 

Although interested in cooking since childhood, Maida lived the life of a creative free spirit dabbling in jewelry making, painting, and fashion illustration before she one day, offered to make some desserts for the menu of her husband's coffee shop in Miami. One thing led to another and soon Maida's desserts were flying off the counters, catching the attention of locals, tourists, and even well-respected industry icons. In 1974, she published her first book, Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts, which launched her on the path to becoming a household name in the food industry of both professional and novice bakers. In 1977, this cookbook, Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies was published.

Filled with over 270 pages of cookie recipes of all flavors, shapes, sizes, and nationalities, Maida made sure that each recipe was thoroughly tested and tasted by her own discerning palette. What's really lovely about Maida's cookbooks apart from her comforting voice, interesting stories, and concise instruction are the unexpected but thoroughly appreciated details she provides. She notes the size of the cookie (very large, extra large, large etc), the exact quantity you should expect from each batch, the texture the cookie should be when it is ready to be removed from the oven, advice on baking equipment and extra notes of encouragement along the way (just be brave and remember that you're the boss.)

An extra special part of earlier cookbook volumes like this one are the illustrations, which were done by her daughter Toni, before she tragically died in a glider accident in 1994.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- 1977 Book Club Edition

- 278 pages

- Interesting recipes include 24-Karet Cookies, Chocolate Banana Cookies, Sunflower Coconut Cookies, Wild Honey and Ginger Cookies, Hazelnut Rusks, Palm Island Brandy Snaps, Norman Rockwell's Oatmeal Wafers, Senoritas, Homemade Marshmallows and so many more!

- Original dust jacket included

- Decorated coverboards

- Illustrated throughout

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The dust jacket is lightly spotted and stained and has been reinforced along the out spine where some chippy areas occurred along the top and bottom edge. The inside is very clean and bright, except for one small cooking stain on the front endpaper that has seeped through the edge of the first four pages (please see photo). There are no cooking stains or marks. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 5.75" inches (width) x 8.5" inches (length) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs just under 1 lb.