Over the Counter #192

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner? Well, Christmas baking season is upon us, so cookbooks are this week's them. Desserts and treat recipes to be precise - one from the US and one from Canada!

First up was The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories and Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts by Jessie Oleson Moore.

From the publisher, Sasquatch Books:

"Have you ever wondered where the ideas for baking red velvet cupcakes, brownies, birthday cake, Girl Scout cookies, and other dessert recipes came from? Discover the history behind America's most popular and nostalgic desserts with popular CakeSpy blogger and self-proclaimed "dessert detective" Jessie Oleson Moore. Moore has put her sweet-sleuthing skills to work uncovering the fascinating histories and tastiest recipes for America's favorite sweets, including whoopee pies, chocolate chip cookies, Baked Alaska, and New York cheesecake. From romantic musings on how desserts got their names to sugar-fueled scandals, these classic recipes and photographs are guaranteed to offer food for thought and leave you with plenty of room for dessert."

Next up was The Complete Chocolate Book by The Canadian Living Test Kitchen.

From the publisher:

"Is there a sexier food than chocolate? Even its Latin name - Theobroma cacao - means "food of the gods." Is it any wonder this ingredient captivates our imaginations, year after year?

But chocolate can be a finicky ingredient -- it can break, or seize, and it needs gentle handling to turn out right. That's why the pros in The Canadian Living Test Kitchen have collected their best Tested-Till-Perfect chocolate recipes in their new book, The Complete Step-by-Step Chocolate Collection. Alongside pages and pages of decadent, luscious recipes, they've shared what the pros know about cooking with chocolate, and more than 100 step-by-step shots to guide you though the cooking process. It couldn't be easier to be a chocolatier at home.

Chapters focus on the varied, wonderful textures of chocolate treats. Craving an ooey-gooey caramel-topped cake? A dark, chewy brownie? A crispy, crunchy cookie? These and many more recipes await you in the pages of this book. So dig in and treat yourself!

Chapters Include:
1. Gooey (sticky-topped cakes, squares, cookies)
2. Creamy (sauces, puddings, mousses, fondue)
3. Crunchy (cookies, tarts, pastries)
4. Chewy (cookies, brownies, yeast breads)
5. Melty (truffles, candies)
6. Crumbly (tarts, shortbreads, pastries)
7. Chilly (frozen treats, ice cream)
8. Cakey (moist/dense cakes, quick breads, cake-like brownies)"

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come to the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But...I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)