Death By Chocolate Cookies

Rating:
Summary: Production of Viagra discontinued
Review: That's a headline you're likely to see in the future if everyone would buy (and use) Marcel Desaulniers latest book. Mouthwatering photographs along with the clearest directions I've ever come across plus CHOCOLATE!!!!! and tons of it. What better aphrodisiac can a person need?????

Rating:
Summary: A must have for Chocolate Lovers!
Review: This book was fantastic. I have tried alot of the recipes and my favorites are definetly the Road Trip Cookies, Chocolate Angel Food Bites, and Chocolate Boulders. But hands down, the best cookies have got to be the Chocolate Dalmations! Just enough flavor of the white and dark chocolate. This is definetly a book that will satisfy your chocolate cravings. But remember, don't try all the recipes at once. I did, and ended up gaining a couple of pounds!

Rating:
Summary: Yes... but No!
Review: This is a beautiful book. The photography is truly amazing. However, I have found a number of inconsistencies and what can only be called mistakes in the recipes themselves. For example: in the Chocolate Caramel Puffs, the recipe claims that 1/8th of a teaspoon of lemon juice will make 1/2 cup of sugar look like "wet sand." Go ahead... measure it out and try it. As this is somewhat a central part of the recipe (and affects the caramelization of the sugar) the alterations necessary to achieve the desired consistency make following the recipe a bit difficult. I have noticed similar problems with other recipes, particularly ones that call for chocolate ganaches. I recommend it with hesitation, and should only be considered by expert cooks with a LOT of equipment.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for chocolate lovers
Review: What I think is outstanding about this cookbook is the section of notes that Marcel has put together in the beginning of the book. It's really important to read carefully through this section before you begin baking. You'll have much better results if you understand your ingredients and equipment. I also love that all of his recipes are created using kitchen equipment that we all have at home, not commercial super-appliances, and ingredients that are readily available at any decent supermarket. I believe that this process creates a very high success rate for the average home baker.

Rating:
Summary: Try the Chocolate Dalmatians
Review: Yes, you do need equipment. Yes, you do need to know what you're doing. The results are fabulous, though. The Chocolate Dalmatians instantly became my favorite chocolate chip cookie (don't even think of trying them unless you have a heavy-duty countertop mixer -- these babies will tax the best hand-held model). I've always made good cookies, but these are incredible!