Chcocolate Cookbooks!!

[Sarah]

I'm looking for a wedding gift cookbook, and the only stipulation is it needs to be all about chcocolate.

Any favourites??

[britneyelise]

Bittersweet by Alice Medrich is one of my favorites. It is a beautiful book to look at. Alice is definitely sure of herself, and that comes off in her writings, but what she writes about is facinating and the recipes are to die for.

[Molli526]

I will vouch for Alice Medrich recipes. Some of them are more complicated than others, but they are winners.

I have Bittersweet and give it a thumbs up!

[Beth]

I also have Nick Malgieri's Chocolate and Alice Medrich's Cocolate. Nestle's also has the Toll House Cookbook and Ghiradelli has a chocolate cookbook (have both of those also), but one I don't have is Death by Chocolate.

[hAndyman]

That's a good list of books Beth and britneyelise have got going already, Sarah, ; a good old one, that may no longer be in print (it was published in 1982) is The Joy of Chocolate by Judith Olney. I've made a number of recipes from it, and can only dream of making the chocolate cabbage cake pictured on the cover - it looks like a cabbage, doesn't contain cabbage. Any of those other books mentioned by those above would certainly be on any baker's wish.

[MaryH]

I checked Death by Chocolate out from the library and would highly recommend it.

[badunnin]

Sarah - Sur La Table has autographed copies of Bittersweet available here (http://www.surlatable.com/common/products/product_details.cfm?dmode=browse&StartRow=1&CRPCGNBR=3&CGRFNBR=285&PRRFNBR=14477)

[Sugarkookie]

I suggest 125 Best Chocolate Recipes by Julie Hasson. It's a fabulous book and it also includes a couple of recipes contributed from these boards.

I must confess that I wrote the book. But since you asked... :)

Julie

[Sarah]

Promote away, Julie. Right now, I think it may be your book that I buy. I own a copy of Death By Chocolate, and while I have made some of the cakes from it, I'm not sure that's what I want.

My friend isn't a foodie, and I'd like a good, book with makeable items that she could do and pretty picture to look at. Her fiance is a chocoholic, and she's started the tradition that my parents have with pie: she makes something chocolate on the 7th of every month (they got engaged on the 7th, bought their house on the 7th, are getting married on the 7th...) I want to do a basket for her with the makings of chocolate things for their first year.

Keep the ideas coming!
Sarah

[CompassRose]

I too like Alice Medrich a lot; Bittersweet is high on my personal wishlist, though I haven't yet bought it. I think Cocolat is out of print -- and given the choice between the two, I'd go for Bittersweet for a gift anyway. It's got a much more catholic range of recipes, from the extremely fancy to the simple and good, and even some lower-fat recipes from Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts. More of an all-round cookbook.

I don't like Desaulniers at all, me. I've taken his books out of the library a few times, and I like neither his writing style nor his recipes much.

Another book I've got and like is Michelle Urvater's Chocolate Cake. Again, nice range of things, from the simple coffeecake to the multi-layer torte thick with ganache. It's a bit short on pictures, but the recipes are definitely well-explained, and pretty good.

[wonderwoman]

What a great gift idea!

I would have to say Nick Malgieri's Chocolate book is more for foodies or people who love spending a lot of time in the kitchen. That said, everything I've made out of it (probably 3 or 4 of the cakes and I think a cookie recipe) has been great and the pictures are beautiful. :)

I also have the Ghirardelli chocolate cookbook, which has good recipes that are more the speed of your average cook.

[Beth]

I thought of this thread when I was out and saw a Hershey's book -- like one I have but looks like it was updated a few years ago.

Doesn't Cake Doctor have a chocolate version? I saw another chocolate book at Marshall's, but it was one of those collections by someone I'd never heard of, so I couldn't vouch for it. However, looking at Marshall's or a similar store might have something too.