White Chocolate

Rating:
Summary: How did I live without this cookbook?!
Review: The fact that this cookbook is so hard to find is nothing short of a sin against gastronomy. I count it among our favorite cookbooks, and when we want to make a show-stopping dessert, this is one of the first cookbooks we turn to.

Since there is so much misinformation (or just plain lack of understanding) about white chocolate, this book starts out with some handy information. It includes notes on using white chocolate in baking and foods that pair well with white chocolate (or incorporate it well), instructions on how to successfully melt white chocolate, and some ingredient and equipment notes.

Our copy of this book is quite well-used. The white chocolate mousse with blueberry sauce is nothing short of astounding, but oh, this is NOT diet food! The orange white chocolate mousse isn't far behind in quality, and the vanilla white chocolate mousse will make you swoon. If mousses aren't impressive enough, how about white chocolate dumplings in strawberry soup? (We thought we'd died and gone to heaven!) Or a white chocolate Bavarian cream or white chocolate terrine. And that's only part of the first chapter of recipes!

Chapters include cakes, cheesecakes, and tortes; pies, pastries, and breads; souffles, puddings, and crepes; ice cream, frozen desserts, and beverages; and much more! Who could resist strawberry shortcake with white chocolate chantilly, Clay's chocolate ice cream with white chocolate truffles, or white chocolate-ginger truffles?

But if you really want your guests to come back over and over again, trust me when I tell you to make the white chocolate cheesecake with dark chocolate crust. When we lived in Boston and did yearly Thanksgiving feasts, at least 2 or 3 people would request that specific recipe every year!

These are fancy dishes, to be sure, but many of them are also pretty simple and well-explained. I won't tell you this book is for beginners, but you also don't need to be an expert. You'll certainly look like one, though, when you put one of these desserts in front of your guests!