Even with the vast number of recipes available on the internet these days, there’s nothing quite like leafing through a beautiful book full of recipes. It’s a medium that’s stronger than ever before, with cookbooks topping bestseller charts throughout the year. If you’re anything like us then you’ll have shelves upon shelves of them in your home – some kept in pristine condition, others earmarked, stained and scrawled over after years of use.
It’s this national love for cookbooks that has prompted us to start our very own cookbook club. Each month we’ll select a cookbook that we think stands out from the rest and ask you, the Great British Chefs community, to cook a recipe from it. We’ll publish a small selection of recipes on our site so, even if you don’t already have the book, you can still get involved and see how your cooking compares to everyone else’s. Apply to join the Facebook group here and take a look at this month's book (and recipes) below. We've also included the winning post from last month's book, as well as some of our other favourite entries.
Chocoholics take note! This book might be a few years old, but Adventures in Chocolate by Paul A Young is still one of the most iconic and beloved books which focus on one of the most universally loved ingredients in the world. And with Christmas being that time of year when we can all indulge to our heart's content, we couldn't think of a better book to focus on.
From homemade chocolate truffles flavoured with all sorts of weird and wonderful ingredients to desserts, drinks, cakes and even savoury dishes, there's plenty to get to grips with.
For a taste of what’s inside, take a look at the three recipes below. However, if you really want to become a master chocolatier, head over to Amazon to bag yourself a copy.
Bitter chocolate goes into the batter mix for these pancakes, which are then drenched in a chocolatey maple syrup seasoned with a little sea salt. The result is a wonderfully indulgent breakfast or brunch dish which the whole family can get stuck into.
If you're seriously into your chocolate, then look no further than this impressive (yet simple) dessert, which combines brownies, milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate to create a layered trifle of chocoholic dreams.
Perfect for the run-up to Christmas, this hot chocolate replaces the more common milk with a base of red wine, spices and satsumas. Warming, slightly boozy and perfect for keeping a crowd happy, we'll certainly be making a batch for the festive season.
Last month we celebrated one of the most iconic restaurants in living memory with The Book of St John. Cookbook club members stocked up on oxtails, slowly simmered lamb shoulders and topped toast with kidneys. Congratulations to John Harlow who took the top spot this month – he wins a cookbook! Take a look at his dish and all the other honourable mentions below.
Make sure you post photos along with commentary of the dishes you cook from Adventures in Chocolate in our Facebook group to be in with the chance of winning.
