Chocolate Bible: 165 Recipes from the Famous French Culinary School

LeCordon Bleu, one of the world’s preeminent cooking schools, pays homage to all things chocolate in this scrumptious and meticulous collection. Readers will delight in a wide array of cakes, tarts, mousses and creams, and much more, and the editors offer expert guidance on key techniques such as making ganache, pastry dough, crème anglaise, and choux pastry. Luscious is an understatement, as evidenced by such beautifully assembled dishes as chocolate truffle cake, chocolate-raspberry mogador, and triple chocolate iced terrine. Recipes are rated on a scale of one to three by difficulty and include classics such as opera cake (three), soufflés (one), crème brûlée (one), eclairs (two), and millefeuilles (three), as well as nonbaked dishes such as chocolate fondue with fruit (one), Irish coffee cream (one), and matcha green tea chocolates (two). For those looking to amp up their decorating skills, there’s an entire chapter on decorations, including honeycomb, leaves, and flowers. There is something for every occasion and every skill level in this excellent collection. This appetizing work will quickly become a go-to on the topic.[em] (Nov.) [/em]