Gluten-Free Cookies

Gluten-Free Cookies was released on March 14, 2011. It has received excellent reviews by bloggers and the trade.
For interviews or events, contact Luane Kohnke at lkohnke@msn.com or 917.856.6012 or Andy Sturtevant at asturtevant@rsvp.com or 207.772.6833, ext. 127.


Gluten-Free Cookies
From Shortbreads to Snickerdoodles, Brownies to Biscotti—50 Recipes for Cookies You Crave

By Luane Kohnke
Photographs by Stacey Cramp

Whether you prefer cookies warm and gooey fresh from the oven, hearty and crunchy as a satisfying snack, or dainty and delicate for a fancy occasion, Gluten-Free Cookies has the perfect cookies for you.

For those who suffer from celiac disease or wheat allergies, memories of butter, sugar, and flour can be a painful experience. For many people, eliminating gluten from one’s diet means eliminating food that was once enjoyed. For others, it means never experiencing foods like cookies, cakes, or breads that are made with wheat, rye, or barley flours. Luane Kohnke’s delightful recipes put cookies back within reach.

You’ll find recipes here to satisfy all your cookie cravings, whether you observe a gluten-free diet or not. Indulge in ginger molasses cookies just like Grandma’s, perfectly tart lemon squares, butter and sugar cookies that melt on your tongue, rich and fudgy brownies, decadent and unusual varieties for entertaining and gift-giving, and a whole range of other perfect treats. The recipes in this book are designed to create the very best, tastiest cookies that just happen to be gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Cookies contains 50 beautifully photographed, easy to make recipes. There is an extensive listing of gluten-free baking ingredients, an overview of baking techniques, and a special section on creating a gluten-free environment for one-time or on-going baking. Luane provides a guide to sourcing gluten-free ingredients as well as a listing of celiac disease support groups.

•Retail: $18.95 (Canada $21.95) • Page count: 144 • Photographs: 50+ full color • Binding: Hardcover + jacket •Trim size: 8.5 x 8.5 inches color

• ISBN 13: 978-1-4162-0623-1 • UPC: 7-64453-00623-0
Contact Andy Sturtevant, asturtevant@rsvp.com, (800) 625-3386
Sellers Publishing, Inc.
161 John Roberts Road, South Portland, Maine 04106

Praise for Gluten-Free Cookies:

Real Simple.com – March 29, 2011
“Here’s the latest cookbook to address the gluten-free craze: Luane Kohnke’s Gluten-Free Cookies, which features 50 recipes for everything from sugar cookies to lemon squares to biscotti. Using ingredients like rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour, she offers tasty alternatives for favorite baked goods that would otherwise be off-limits. So if you’re following a gluten-free diet and craving homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies, there’s no need to miss out.“

Publishers Weekly – April 18, 2011
“With clear, concise instructions and beautiful photographs, Gluten-Free Cookies will appeal to novice and experienced bakers alike.”

The Gluten Free Lab.com – January 26, 2011
“We’ll assume you know us well enough to know that we’ve never met a cookie we didn’t like. So we’re eager to see this cookbook hit stores March 2011. The book description sounds like something right up The Lab’s alley: “The recipes in this book are designed to create the very best, tastiest cookies that just happen to be glutenfree.” We’re intrigued…explore more on Luane Kohnke’s website!”

Wellsphere.com/vegetarian-article/gluten-free-cookies-a-review – April 20, 2011
“… the cookies were good – like a flatter and slightly crunchy chocolate chip cookie. And no one will ever believe they’re gluten-free, unless you tell them so! My resident cookie expert pronounced them “quite good” which is heaping praises on it, if you know her. Her usual responses to my questions about something I’ve baked or cooked for the first time tend to range from “yuck!” or “this is awful”, when something hasn’t quite made the grade to ““there’s something not quite right about this” when its passable whereas “it’s okay” usually translates as good.

In Mama’s Kitchen–March 15, 2011
“Kohnke’s expertise shows in the easy and clear explanation she gives of gluten-free cookies to introduce the recipes. Covering the basics (what is and isn’t gluten-free), ingredients, and flavorings, she starts the cook on a voyage of discovery. Kohnke loves her cookie art and approaches it with humor and zest. This is a lovely addition to any library, whether gluten-free or not.”

Peter HR Green, MD, Director, Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center–Foreword
“Luane Kohnke’s book, Gluten-Free Cookies: From Shortbread to Snickerdoodles, Brownies to Biscotti–50 Recipes for Cookies You Crave is a wonderful compilation of fabulous cookie recipes for managing a delicious gluten-free lifestyle. Luane’s book provides a wonderful way for both adults and children to enjoy a gluten-free diet. Luane’s book helps in that she not only provides copious amounts of information about available gluten-free ingredients, but she also provides recipes that allow everyone to make gluten-free homemade treats from scratch. There is no doubt that resources such as this book, Gluten-Free Cookies, are an important adjunct to any household that is attempting to be gluten-free. I congratulate Luane on her superb effort. Read the book and enjoy the delicious gluten-free cookies!”

Suggested Interview Topics
Luane has made the journey from marketing professional to first-time author in the culinary world. Her passion for excellence is evident in all of her work and her diverse background makes her well-equipped to handle questions about Gluten-Free Cookies as well as about the journey of a first-time author whose work was pulled from the “slush pile” of unsolicited manuscripts.
Gluten-Free Cookie Interview Topics
• Getting ready to make bake gluten-free cookies: learn about what is gluten-free and what is not, what to look for on product labels, where to source gluten-free baking products, and how to create a gluten-free baking environment (this could be a short overview or a longer format interview)
• Basics of gluten-free baking: 5 tips to help the novice baker successfully create delicious cookies (this could be in combination with “tips” for a longer segment)
• Tips for all cookie bakers: general tips and an overview of techniques that any cookie baker should know highlighting the varieties of cookies from Gluten-Free Cookies (rolled, bars, drop, meringue, slice-and-bake)
• Baking demonstration for one to three cookies featured in Gluten-Free Cookies. Demo could focus on a single topic such as classic cookies, fun recipes for children or a seasonal theme such as Valentines’ Day, Christmas, Hanukah, etc.
Publication Journey Interview Topics
• How to research, pitch, and develop a cookbook for publication—a first-timers process. Luane describes how without an agent, her passion for baking cookies ended with the publication of a cookbook that is part of a trend toward gluten-free living.
• How to make a transition from your lifelong work to your lifelong passion. After a successful career in marketing, Luane pursued her passion to bake cookies. She will candidly share how she is making the journey to her next career.

Suggested Event Formats
• Book signing, can include a brief 10-15 minute talk with Q&A on “what is gluten-free baking” or “tips for the gluten-free baker.”
If the venue permits, the event could be supplemented by cookie samples from recipes featured in Gluten-Free Cookies which are baked by store staff. Two recipes are posted: Chocolate Chip with Pecans and Decorated Cookie Cut-Outs.

• Book signing, can include a 15-20 minute talk with Q&A on becoming a first time author.
• Baking demonstration for three to five cookies featured in Gluten-Free Cookies. Demo could focus on a single topic such as classic cookies, fun recipes for children or a seasonal theme such as Valentines’ Day, Christmas, Hanukah, etc. Kitchen facility, demonstration set-up, and equipment must be provided by the sponsor.
• Hands-on baking class scaled to span a half-day to a day-and-a-half session. Class could be focus on a single theme such as classic cookies, fun recipes for children or a seasonal theme such as Valentines’ Day, Christmas, Hanukah, etc. Kitchen facility and equipment would need to be provided by the sponsor. Class fee could include a signed copy of Gluten-Free Cookies.
• Classroom lecture on what is gluten-free baking: learn about what is gluten-free and what is not, what to look for on product labels, where to source gluten-free baking products, how to create a gluten-free baking environment, and basic tips to create the perfect gluten-free cookie. Resource materials provided. Class fee could include a signed copy of Gluten-Free Cookies.

About the Author: Luane Kohnke
Luane Kohnke has been an accomplished gourmet cookie baker for more than 20 years. She loves all kinds of cooking and baking. It is her belief that flavor and texture are the most important attributes of a good cookie. She enjoys researching new ideas and experimenting with new ingredients. Luane writes a blogs about cookie baking and her cookie recipes were featured in the 2010 New York Times Dining Section Holiday Cookie Round-Up as well as the 2010 and 2009 holiday cookie online edition of the New York Times online edition.

Her love for cookie baking began when she was nine years old, living on her family’s farm in Wisconsin. She developed an interest in gluten-free baking about 15 years ago when the son of a friend was diagnosed with celiac disease.

Luane obtained her culinary training at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City. She holds a BA in sociology and political science from Valparaiso University and pursued graduate studies at SUNY-Albany. In addition to being a cookbook author, she has managed marketing information and analysis functions at several financial services firms and advertising agencies in New York City.

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