How to Use this Book

Chocolate has changed more than any ingredient we use in baking. The bittersweet and semisweet chocolate called for in Cocolat never exceeded 60% cacao—because that is what was available to home cooks at the time. If you use chocolate that exceeds 60% cacao, mousses might be grainy and hard, sauces might curdle, and cakes may be too dry—because cacao percentage affects texture as well as sweetness and flavor. But other recipes are forgiving and flexible and will “work splendidly with higher percentage chocolates! The Chocolate Chart will tell you which recipes “work with “which chocolates. Always check the chart (if nothing else) before you bake!