Sarah Bernhardt was a French actress who played the title role of Hamlet.  That’s right.  She played Hamlet.  In Hamlet.  Talk about versatile… And that’s about all I know about her, other than that these cookies were inspired by her and named in her honor.

But oh, the multi-layered delight!  You see these petite little gems sitting there, and they look pretty, sure.  Then you bite into one. 

Tastebud explosion.

Holy bon-bon!  Is that an almond wafer in there?  (Yes, it is.)  Is that a chocolate truffle on top?  (Ohhhh, yesss!) And it’s drizzled with more chocolate, holding it all together and whispering:

“To eat, or not to eat: that is the question: 

Whether ‘tis nobler in the palate to suffer       

The scents and spices of outrageous fortune    

Or to take up spatulas against a sea of truffles,   

And by devouring end them?”

(Incidentally, I memorized Hamlet’s famous speech by watching my older sister practice a skit for middle school drama.  In the monologue, one kid comes out licking a lollipop and reciting the soliloquy, another kid is twisting their hair and fidgeting, etc.  They all repeat the famous lines, but the actor makes them really funny by exaggerating the kids’ foibles.  My sister practiced so hard to get the lines right.  What I remember most of all is the bubble-gum blower, because it seemed really natural for her – she blows REALLY big bubbles with gum.  She was so nervous practicing, but when she had to perform, she was fantastic.  Thanks for getting me interested in Shakespeare!)

Enough of my pitiful paraphrasing (butchering, more like).  I’ve had so much fun playing with cookies lately, and I’ve found some new favorite cookbooks, so I thought I’d share them with you, along with this recipe (I’ll add the link later- I’m working on a new recipe card format that’s easier on your printers).  Does it look hard?  It’s totally not!  You can do this!  You really CAN!

First, I love Martha Stewart Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share.  The Martha World is WAY too perfect, but  the cookies are so deliciously-photographed, and the directions are simple.  Simple recipes with spectacular results, so she gets 5 stars for a well-edited selection and a well-crafted book.  The Sarah Bernhardt recipe is in this book.  Just to tempt you.

Second, try Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter .  The real jewel in this book is the 30 or 40 pages of incredible baking secrets and techniques.  It would take a lifetime to amass that much baking experience.  Don’t wait for epiphanies.  Absorb the knowledge she shares.  Schmanzy Smores?  Mmm…  made them (mostly) from this book.

Third, one that I was given on my wedding day – The Great Big Cookie Book by Hilaire Walden.  This book is tall, has fantastic pictures explaining each step of the process, and is simple, simple, simple to follow.  You won’t get confused making any of these recipes.  My best sugar cookie recipe comes from this book.

In honor of my dear readers who have put up with all of my crazed cookie baking, I am giving away one copy of Martha Stewart’s cookie book.    Comment below for one entry, and for a second,  make a link on facebook or your blog to this post and leave me a comment with a link to your post!  Contest ends Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at noon CST.

What’s your favorite cookbook?