Recipe Weekend: Chocolate Lover by Michele Song

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Chronicle Books,  via Edelweissplus, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.


An irresistible collection of 60 recipes in a special package with metallic silver paper (just like a chocolate bar) and luscious photos of every bake, including cookies, brownies, cakes, tarts, sweet breads, pastries, and more, all featuring white, milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate.

chocolate lover cover
Synopsis:


Melty pools of chocolate in a warm chocolate chip cookie. A decadent, perfectly fudgy brownie. An oh-so-nostalgic yellow birthday cake with whorls of chocolate buttercream.


If your mouth is watering, join the club—and rejoice! Because this cookbook is here to satiate your every chocolate craving. These recipes run the gamut from easy 15-minute pleasures to impressive kitchen projects that double and triple down on chocolatey goodness:

  • Weeknight treats like Peanut Pretzel Toffee Bark, Cocoa Tahini Marble Cookies, and Chewy Mochi Brownies
  • Giftable sweets such as Chocolate Pumpkin Babka and Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Cake
  • Morning indulgences from Lemon-Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins to Chocolate Frangipane Croissants 
  • Special occasion bakes, including Strawberry White Chocolate Chantilly Cake, Coffee Caramel and Nutella Tart, and a stunning Neapolitan Icebox Cake


With guidance on melting chocolate, making ganache, caramelizing white chocolate, and so much more, Chocolate Lover is an indispensable baking book for chocolate enthusiasts everywhere, sure to become cocoa-smudged and frosting-stained from years of love and use. This is the perfect gift for the chocoholic in your life (including yourself!).

Filled with approachable recipes that any home baker can follow, even novice bakers will find plenty of recipes to cut their teeth on (bark, hot cocoa, truffles), while more experienced bakers will revel in the project bakes (tarts, layer cakes, pastries). There is no complicated or finicky chocolate work here, no confections or candy. The well-tested recipes, thorough instruction, and multitude of photos ensure these desserts are easy to replicate. Like 100 Cookies or Snacking Bakes, this is good old-fashioned baking—the kind of sweet treats any home baker can make for a birthday, a bake sale, or a relaxing Sunday at home.

Recipe:

brown butter chocolate crispy treats








Review:

Need THE Cookbook for gift giving for the upcoming holiday season? Here's your book! Everyone loves chocolate, and this new cookbook offers updated takes on classic recipes (like the above crispy treats), and if the recipes don't get your attention, the color photos will have you salivating and running to the kitchen to start cooking! Most of the recipes have basic ingredients you can find locally, and are relatively easy to make. The recipes may be a bit more involved than what you are used to normally, but the effort is well worth it. Be sure to read the intro- Song gives a really good intro course to chocolate and what makes it unique, and why different types are better for certain recipes. Song also includes tips about chocolate types with each recipe and that really helps the beginner/novice baker to understand the choices made in the recipe. This is a book to cherish and hand down, so don't forget to get a copy for yourself, besides the ones you'll be giving this holiday season!


About the Author

Michele Song is a pastry chef and food photographer who lives in sunny San Diego. She graduated from the pastry arts program at San Francisco Cooking School and externed on the pastry team at the highly acclaimed Manresa Bread. Find Song’s recipes and more inspiration on her blog, Studio Baked


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