It is exceedingly rare for me to rate a cookbook lacking photos very highly at all, usually it's a deal breaker for me. However, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Aleksandra Crapanzano's last book, "Gâteau: the Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes" and it was the same, no photos, but full of charming watercolor illustrations.

I read her books more for the wonderful descriptions of beloved French desserts - the illustrations are adorable. I'm less interested in reading it as a cookbook, it feels more like a lovely book about what makes these desserts so special.

As with her last cookbook, most recipes are mostly given in super precise measurements, except when small amounts are given in teaspoons and tablespoons. A bit funny, but it is designed to introduce American cooks to French recipes and in the US we tend to use the less precise tsp/Tbsp measurements. Even as a very-allergic-to-chocolate person, I just loved reading this book, it fills my France loving heart with so much joy!

Thank you Aleksandra Crapanzano, Scribner, and NetGalley for this ARC, it was truly wonderful.

Thank you Netgalley, Scribner, and Aleksandra Crapanzano for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.


This book was amazing. It is full with a stunning amount of chocolate treats in every form you can imagine straight from France. I had to take breaks while flipping through the book, because my mouth wouldn't atop watering. It is divine in every way.

This book would be best for someone with moderate baking experience. While the directions were clear and easy to understand, a beginner might not have enough experience to tackle the more advanced techniques without more explanation. I really love the extra ideas at the end of some of the recipes for fun changes like adding different flavors, nuts, or fruits.

I think most of the ingredients and tools are going to be easy to find, or have good substitutions. I would highly recommend having a stand mixer to help cut down mixing by a ton for a lot of these recipes.

My biggest complaint is that there are NO photos. That is a huge pet peeve for me, because I have no idea what these desserts are supposed to look like when finished.

This is a foodie cookbook of gourmet (but generally simple) French chocolate recipes of all kinds. There are generally no photos and there is no nutritional information, but there are lots of recipes for making all kinds of chocolate dishes with high end ingredients. Paragraphs above every recipe tell stories and give lots of additional information.

I read an ARC of this book via netgalley.