I Love Desserts: Absolutely Chocolate

the appetizer:

Absolutely Chocolate: Irresistible Excuses to Indulge from the editors of Fine Cooking, includes recipes like Chocolate Pots De Crème; Fast and Easy Nibby Fudge; and Mexican-style Pecan-Chocolate Squares.

I Love Desserts

Absolutely Chocolate
Irresistible Excuses to Indulge

From the editors of Fine Cooking

Click to Buy Absolutely Chocolate

While chocolate is a welcomed treat for so many of us, it can also be the source of some head scratching to others. For years, most cooks only worried about choosing between semi-sweet or milk chocolate when making a chocolate delight. These days, with so much variation in flavor and quality, it's essential to know the origins and unique characteristics of the chocolate you choose. The experts at Fine Cooking have once again come along to take the guesswork out of creating delectable goodies with Absolutely Chocolate: Irresistible Excuses to Indulge.

The book is filled with invaluable information on how chocolate is made, how to choose the right chocolate for your baking needs, when to use cocoa and when to use chocolate, how to decipher labels, and so much more. And with more than 125 recipes for everything from layer cakes, tarts, and pies to muffins, cookies, and brownies to candies, sauces, and hot cocoa, Absolutely Chocolate has your sweet tooth covered.

Want a dose of chocolate in the morning? Try Pains au Chocolat or Chocolate Chunk Scones. For snacking, there's Chocolate Orange Biscotti and Brownie Cream Cheese Bites. For dessert, well, let's just say the choices are endless.

This collection is full of color photographs, step-by-step, can't fail instructions, secrets and techniques for perfect results, and cooking wisdom from the editors of Fine Cooking.

Some of the Invaluable Tips & Techniques Found in Absolutely Chocolate:

The Best Way to Chop Chocolate (p. 19)
A Neat Trick for Shaping Drop Cookies (p. 30)
Tips for Perfect Lace Cookies (p. 32)
Dipping for a Shiny Glaze (p. 40)
Creaming Butter and Sugar—What It Means and Why it Matters (p. 44)
Simple Tools that Give Brownies and Bars a Professional Look (p. 60)
Three Ways to Streamline Your Shortcakes (p. 96)
Baking a Cake that Glides out of the Pan (p. 103)
Creating Drama with Chocolate Shavings and Curls (p. 113)
Why a Removable-Bottom Tart Pan is a Must for Any Baker (p. 139)
For the Smoothest Cheesecake, Don't Overwhip the Batter (p. 146)
Two Good Methods for Melting Chocolate (p. 149)
Four Tips for Perfect Pots de Creme (p. 156)
The Keys to Luscious Mousse (p. 160)
Tips for Making The Perfect Meringue (p. 184)
Shaping Beignets (p. 191)
Making Perfectly Flaky Baklava Layers (p. 197)
Baking Pastry-Shop Perfect Eclairs (p. 202)
Putting the "Roll" in Roulade (p. 207)
Handling and Storing Strawberries (p. 228)
Making Croissants Step-by-Step (p. 252-253)
Temper Your Chocolate for Shine and Snap (p. 269)

About Fine Cooking

Fine Cooking, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, features friendly, hands-on advice and provides inspiration and how-to information that enables cooks of all skill levels to be more confident and creative in the kitchen. Fine Cooking's cookbook, Cooking New American, was the recipient of the 2005 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Compilations Award.