Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"The Taste of Home Baking Book: Timeless Recipes from Trusted Home Cooks" (Reader's Digest, $29.95.)

Do your mom and yourself a favor this Mother's Day and give the lady of honor a copy of the classic cookbook "The Taste of Home Baking Book: Timeless Recipes from Trusted Home Cooks." This Reader's Digest cookbook from 2007 is a standout compilation of the best recipes from the best moms cooking all over the country and was reissued in late 2012. The original 700 recipes have been updated and now, too, come with a bonus mini book of more than 100 recipes titled "Bake Sale Favorites."

The gift should return itself many times over if your mom presents you with goodies from the books at future family occasions.

An example: Donna Frame of Montgomery Village, Md., had a recipe she wants to share with you for the world's top brown sugar crinkle cookies. They are delicious and, undoubtedly even better due to meeting up with Reader's Digest.

That's the lucky lineage of the more than 700 recipes in the book. Like the outstanding "Taste of Home Cookbook" before it, is in the good hands of the Taste of Home editors whose "bookazines" you see at many supermarket checkout aisles. They are all part of the Reader's Digest family.

Let's face it, wouldn't most of us love to first have our family's trusted recipes on scraps of newspaper or jotted on old napkins first go through test kitchens like that for clarifications and fine-tuning? That's the best of both worlds: Wonderful, homey, tried-and-true recipes that professionals have whipped into final shape.

And they really are memorable classics, many of which are accompanied by keepsake color photography. Marion Lowery, of Medford Ore., contributed her crisp and chewy raisin oatmeal cookies, which get a dazzling punch from golden raisins and grated orange peel.

Tina Dierking, of Skohegan, Maine, shared her chewy, chunky bars that taste like chocolate-covered cherries from the easy and innovative use of cherry pie filling, chocolate chips and chopped almonds.

There are lots of standout cheesecakes, like that from Tish Frish, of Hampden, Maine, that is deliciously topped with honey and pecans.

Because this is Reader's Digest-related, that means, though, you don't just get your friendly neighbor's advice, but world-class tips within every chapter, like how to top a cheesecake with sour cream, swirl filling into a cheesecake, make a cheesecake crumb crust or pastry crust, prepare a water bath for the cake, loosen a cheesecake from the pan, and even how to disguise a cracked cheesecake.

Those are just the spotlighted tips within the chapter.

Each chapter starts with a "secrets for success" briefing that's akin to taking a beginning pastry chef's course. Multiply this by additional chapters on brownies, cakes, pies and tarts, quick breads, yeast breads, muffins, biscuits and scones, holiday baking and an overall baking basics primer to start and you have a wealth of information. Beginning cooks, newlyweds, kids leaving for college and the like will probably be especially grateful if you gift them with this treasure, which is also full of delights for the experienced cook.

MARION LOWERY'S GOLDEN RAISIN OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking oats

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup golden raisins

Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water and vanilla.

In another large bowl, combine oats, flour, orange peel, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the raisins (dough will be stiff).

Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

TINA DIERKING'S CHOCOLATE CHERRY BARS

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 cup cold butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped almonds

Yields 3 dozen bars.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add egg and almond extract until blended. Set aside 1 cup for topping.

Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Carefully top with pie filling.

In a medium bowl, combine chocolate chips, almonds and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pie filling.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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