Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible: 180 French Culinary School Recipes for Baking, Gifts & Special Occasions

Chocolate lovers who can never spend enough time baking and eating chocolate cakes, tarts, mousses, creams, frozen desserts, petits fours, and other pastries will find much to absorb them in this collection.

Each recipe is ranked on a scale of difficulty from 1-3 and is accompanied by notes on necessary prep and cooking times. For those that require the preparation of several separate elements—such as a dark chocolate-milk chocolate terrine surrounded by a chocolate sponge—ingredients and instructions are separated to allow the cook to work in stages before assembly.

While there are a number of elaborate show-stoppers like that terrine, there are plenty of more simply prepared treats, such as a chocolate crème brûlée, chocolate pound cake, and a spiced hot chocolate. From there, it takes only a little more confidence to try a crunchy almond-chocolate tart or chocolate and mango religieuses.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.