Star Tribune’s ‘Cookie Book’ gets a sequel

We’re not even halfway through spring, but we’re already looking forward to fall — if only because that’s when three new local baking books will be released, including a follow-up to “The Great Minnesota Cookie Book,” which highlights winning recipes from the Star Tribune’s annual holiday cookie contest.

In “The Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book,” authors Rick Nelson and Lee Svitak Dean (both retired from the Star Tribune) add another five years and 35 recipes to the popular 2018 edition, taking bakers through the 2022 Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest.

Along with all the recipes found in “The Great Minnesota Cookie Book,” this new hardcover edition includes Grasshoppers, Cardamom Cherry Buttons, Maple-Roasted Walnut Delights and more. Also included: baking tips, insights from the authors and the stories behind the winning recipes from some of Minnesota’s best bakers.

The book, published by University of Minnesota Press, is $29.95 and is available for preorder now, but won’t be released until Nov. 5. (Yes, it’s a wait, but there will still be plenty of time for holiday baking — and gift-giving.)

New Star Tribune baking columnist Sarah Kieffer continues her series of 100-themed baking books with “100 Afternoon Sweets,” featuring recipes dedicated to tasty afternoon pick-me-ups. There are recipes for snacking cakes, like Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake, One-Bowl Banana Bread Bars, variations on Crispy Treats as well as longer baking projects for lazy afternoons that appeal to bakers of all tastes and skill levels. Also included: tips and tricks for year-round baking. Save space on your bookshelf next to “100 Cookies” and “100 Morning Treats,” and consider “100 Afternoon Sweets” permission to spoil your appetite for dinner. Available for preorder now for release on Oct. 1 (Chronicle Books, $27.50).

And local author, baker and television personality Zoë François takes us on a new baking journey with “Zoë Bakes Cookies,” which promises to include “everything you need to know to make your favorite cookies and bars.” François includes 75 recipes for cookies and bars that take us from her roots in Vermont to current life in Minnesota, where State Fair-inspired recipes get their own chapter, with Jewish favorites, too. In addition to an introduction of standard baking tips and equipment must-haves, François has a sizable portion dedicated to a “Cookie Academy,” which does a deeper dive into the art of baking cookies. Learning through cookies? Count us in. Available for preorder now for release on Sept. 3 (Ten Speed Press, $30).