If you've longed to make those perfectly iced cookies you see in bakeries and magazines, there's a new book that will get you from dough to done with minimal hassle.

Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer's "Cookie Craft" (Storey Publishing, 2007, $18.95) is an inspired take on the art of decorating cookies. While most books on this subject overwhelm with intricate recipes, "Cookie Craft" offers just four basic recipes for cutout cookies.

The rest of the book is dedicated to design ideas (covering a vast array of holidays and other celebrations, from New Year's to Christmas) and how to replicate them, with detailed explanations of helpful techniques, equipment and ingredients.

This is not the book for a casual weekend baking project with the kids. But anyone who wants to make beautiful cookies will find it jammed with ideas and advice.