I own a lot of cookbooks. I’m not going to count them, but I will say that they have their own bookshelf.

So how do you define a cookbook’s usefulness? There are many ways I suppose, from whether it contains your absolute favourite recipe to one that inspires you to try a new ingredient, technique or cuisine.

But I think another important way is how many times you go back to the same book for a new recipe or just for inspiration.

One of those books for me is the Betty Crocker Cookie Book.

Every holiday season, and sometimes just when my sweet tooth will not settle down, I’ll pull the book off the shelf and leaf through the pages until I find something that suits my mood.

The recipes for cookies and bars vary in their difficulty, time required, etc. so I invariably find something that suits both the time available and the ingredients languishing in my pantry.

This year I went back for two old standbys, Maple Walnut Cookies and Triple Ginger Cookies, and a new recipe, Espresso Cinnamon Cookies (to use all that instant espresso sitting in the pantry).

As usual they were all hits, (something I can’t say for all the online recipes I’ve tried), and I’ll be going back the next time I get an urge to make something sweet.