Baking the Books: To All the Cookies I've Loved Before

Welcome to Baking the Books, where I bake things inspired by my favorite novels! Since I do a lot of reading and a lot of baking, it was only a matter of time before the two things overlapped. It's just part of my evil plot to get books involved in every single aspect of my life.

Last time on Baking the Books: Percy Jackson cupcakes

This week, I'm baking To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han!



I loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before for four reasons. 1) It's awesome. 2) Lara Jean Song Covey. 3) Peter K. 4) THE COOKIES. Our delightful main character, Lara Jean, loves to bake, and, as you might have noticed (I'm really subtle about it), so do I. So obviously I had to channel my inner Lara Jean and throw my own Christmas cookie bonanza, albeit in May.

The Christmas cookie bonanza starts December first.

--To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han



Kitty keeps a list of which cookies we're definitely doing and which ones we're maybe doing. There are a few perennials. My dad loves pecan crescents, so those are a must. Sugar cookies, because those are a given. Snickerdoodles for Kitty, molasses cookies for Margot, cowgirl cookies for me.

I decided to skip making Josh's white chocolate cranberry cookies, Margot's molasses cookies, and Peter's fruitcake cookies (sorry, boyfriend!) because those cookies are less attractive on camera, and also I am NOT a fruitcake lover (sorry, boyfriend, again!). Also I wanted to channel the adorable cover, so I made cookies that were white, black, and pink. I put some cinnamon in my sugar cookies for Kitty, made some cowgirl cookies for the first time for Lara Jean, and then made some pretty black and white cookies for myself.



I'd never heard of cowgirl cookies before Lara Jean mentioned them, but they are scrumptious. They're made with oatmeal, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and pecans (which I left out), and they're super easy. I used this recipe here, which also tells you how to make these adorable gift jars with cowgirl cookie mix and YES. I vow to make those one day. They look like something Lara Jean would adore.



The black and white cookies are a really traditional recipe, and typically come out very soft and spongy and yum. Usually they're frosted with fondant, which is like a sugar dough, but I don't like the taste. So instead I made some vanilla and some deeply chocolately, yummy icing and heaped tons on top.

I split my sugar cookie dough in half, making little coins with one half that I then rolled in cinnamon sugar and cutting hearts out of the other. They're little cookie love letters, and we know how Lara Jean feels about love letters. And, of course, I dedicated (and decorated) my sugar cookies to Lara Jean and to Peter K., love of my life.

 

For the cowgirl cookies, I managed to find some dark pink M&Ms that match the cover PERFECTLY.

There are so many cookies in my house right now. Seriously. It doesn't sound like a problem, but it actually kind of is. There's nothing stopping me from eating them all.

Here are all three of the cookie types together! I just love the way they play off the colors in the cover.

I would make a good Song girl. I will totally bake cookies with you, Lara Jean! I might steal your boyfriend a little bit accidentally, though. You don't mind, right?