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Chocolate Book Gifts for Christmas 2019

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I don't know about you, but when I'm not eating the stuff, I'm reading about chocolate.

I own an ever-growing library of books about chocolate, covering everything from its birth as the product we know today, delicious recipes, the science behind chocolate, and recommendations of British craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers.

So far, my collection includes books by Andrew Baker, Dom Ramsay, Dominique Persoone, Hotel Chocolat, Paul A. Young, and a thoroughly interesting textbook by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

If you have a chocoholic in your life, or someone who loves cooking with chocolate, there's a good chance they love to read about this confection too.

I've put together some book suggestions to slip underneath the tree for them. There's a mix of fiction, recipe books, and interesting reference books here.

Remember, don't forget a bar of good quality chocolate too. A good book deserves great chocolate!

I've linked to the Amazon pages for each book for reference, but you should be able to find these books in all good local bookshops.


From Bean To Bar

From Bean To Bar
Photo credit to Amazon

New this year is journalist Andrew Baker's guide to the best chocolate makers in the British Isles.

The book takes you on a journey to all corners of Great Britain, with plenty of information on where you'll find local bean-to-bar producers making incredible chocolate. He unearths surprising locations of innovative craft chocolate makers across the country along the way.

It's a who's who guide to craft chocolate in the UK, and is a thoroughly good read (I should know, I bought myself a copy).

  • Author: Andrew Baker
  • Publisher: AA Publishing in August 2019
  • ISBN-10: 0749581832
  • ISBN-13: 978-0749581831
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: £15.99

From Bean To Bar by Andrew Baker

See it on Amazon°


Lindt Gold Bunny Book

Lindt Gold Bunny Book
Photo credit to Amazon

Ignore the one-star reviews on Amazon - this book looks so much like the iconic Lindt gold bunny that several people have bought the book believing it to be chocolate.

If you know someone who love's Lindt chocolate then this compact cookbook is ideal for them. It features 26 recipes from madeleines to tiramisu and from mousses to muffins, all incorporating Lindt chocolate bars in some way.

It's a fun, quirky, novel gift for Lindt lovers.

  • Author: Julie Tallet
  • Publisher: Jacqui Small LLP in February 2015
  • ISBN-10: 1909342971
  • ISBN-13: 9781909342972
  • Pages: 54
  • RRP: £9.99

Lindt Gold Bunny Book by Julie Tallet

See it on Amazon°


Couture Chocolate: A Masterclass in Chocolate

Couture Chocolate: A Masterclass in Chocolate
Photo credit to Amazon

Another oldie but goodie is William Curley's book from 2011, Couture Chocolate: A Masterclass in Chocolate. There's a reason it has stood the test of time and continues to sell well.

Couture Chocolate is a book of two halves, bound together with a helping of exquisite photography. The first examines the origins of chocolate and the second is a masterclass on making chocolate. It's an essential read for anyone who loves cooking with chocolate at home.

  • Author: William Curley
  • Publisher: Jacqui Small LLP in October 2011
  • ISBN-10: 1906417598
  • ISBN-13: 978-1906417598
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: £30

Couture Chocolate: A Masterclass in Chocolate by William Curley

See it on Amazon°


The Quality Street Girls

The Quality Street Girls
Photo credit to Amazon

We chocoholics don't just love facts, recipes, and history. Some of us like to get lost in a chocolatey fictional tale (many starting with Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory°, of course).

Inspired by a true story, this book tells the tale of how three women at Mackintosh’s Quality Street factory in Halifax during the 1930s save the day at Christmastime following an accident.

It's a heart-warming tale and a good read for anyone who loves Quality Street. It's best served with a tin, tub, or carton of Nestlé's sweets too.

  • Author: Penny Thorpe
  • Publisher: HarperCollins in November 2018
  • ISBN-10: 0008307768
  • ISBN-13: 978-0008307769
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: £12.99

The Quality Street Girls by Penny Thorpe

See it on Amazon°


Cocoa: An Exploration of Chocolate, with Recipes

Cocoa: An Exploration of Chocolate, with Recipes
Photo credit to Amazon

Award-winning food writer, author, and journalist, Sue Quinn, has written a book that's obsessed with cocoa. It begins with a detailed look into the origins of chocolate before moving onto recipes.

The book offers a fresh perspective on cocoa and you'll find 80 recipes for drinks, breads, cakes, puddings, tarts, biscuits, and savoury dishes all made using this wonder ingredient. Example dishes include Triple Chocolate and Liquorice Cake with Treacle Syrup; Spelt, Cranberry and Cocoa Nib Crackers; and Sticky Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Cocoa and Maple.

  • Author: Sue Quinn
  • Publisher: Quadrille Publishing Ltd in March 2019
  • ISBN-10: 1787132609
  • ISBN-13: 978-1787132603
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: £25

Cocoa: An Exploration of Chocolate, with Recipes by Sue Quinn

See it on Amazon°


Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible

Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible
Photo credit to Amazon

Cordon Bleu is a brand that's known as the crème de la crème of the gastronomy world, and now this French culinary school turns its hand to chocolat.

A mammoth 180 recipes await discovery in this culinary bible, presented in an easy-to-use manner. Follow the recipes and step-by-step photographs in this book and you'll be crafting tempting cakes, tarts, chocolate mousses, desserts, beverages, biscuits and more in no time at all.

  • Author: Le Cordon Bleu
  • Publisher: Grub Street in September 2019
  • ISBN-10: 1911621858
  • ISBN-13: 978-1911621850
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: £35

Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible

See it on Amazon°


Chocolate Wars - From Cadbury to Kraft - 200 Years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry

Chocolate Wars - From Cadbury to Kraft - 200 Years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry
Photo credit to Amazon

Cast your mind back to 2010 and you may remember the US firm Kraft took over British institution Cadbury amidst a lot of public discontent. Kraft is now Mondelēz International and the company has since gone on to revamp the manufacturing and supply chain for the chocolate business.

This book, written by Deborah Cadbury, a direct descendant of the famous chocolate dynasty, traces Cadbury back to its roots, unearthing tales of success and rivalry along the way.

This is a must read for Cadbury chocolate fans.

  • Author: Deborah Cadbury
  • Publisher: HarperCollins in June 2011
  • ISBN-10: 0007325576
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007325573
  • Pages: 362
  • RRP: £10.99

Chocolate Wars - From Cadbury to Kraft - 200 Years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry by Deborah Cadbury

See it on Amazon°


Chocolate: Indulge Your Inner Chocoholic

Chocolate: Indulge Your Inner Chocoholic
Photo credit to Amazon

Dom Ramsey is founder of the Chocablog chocolate blog and Damson Chocolate, so he knows a thing or two about the bean-to-bar world. In this encyclopedia of chocolate knowledge, he educates and inspires readers to explore this fascinating world in a greater depth.

This book is a great resource to the background of cocoa beans and the cocoa growing regions, as well as information on how to make, buy, taste, and cook with chocolate. There's a small recipes section to get you started.

  • Author: Dom Ramsey
  • Publisher: DK in September 2016
  • ISBN-10: 024122943X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0241229439
  • Pages: 224
  • RRP: £14.99

Chocolate: Indulge Your Inner Chocoholic by Dom Ramsey

See it on Amazon°


The Cadbury Creme Egg Cookbook

The Cadbury Creme Egg Cookbook
Photo credit to Amazon

It's nearly Christmas so that means one thing - Cadbury Creme Eggs will be back in the shops in less than a month. But rather than fear the appearance of the diminutive fondant-filled chocolate eggs in the supermarket, why not embrace it?

This novelty cook book features 60 recipes that use Creme Eggs, from chocolate bark to parfait, and from flapjacks to milkshakes.

If you know of a Creme Egg fanatic, get them this book and a supply of Creme Eggs° as soon as they become available. You may need to give an IOU to the recipient as this one isn't pencilled in for release until January.

  • Author: Cadbury
  • Publisher: HarperCollins in January 2020
  • ISBN-10: 0008356874
  • ISBN-13: 978-0008356873
  • Pages: 112
  • RRP: £9.99

The Cadbury Creme Egg Cookbook

See it on Amazon°


Hotel Chocolat: A New Way of Cooking with Chocolate

Hotel Chocolat: A New Way of Cooking with Chocolate
Photo credit to Amazon

I recently bought myself a copy of this cookbook, and while it seems quite difficult to get hold of now, it's a great read if you love cooking and love chocolate.

Unlike other recipe books that focus on sweet treats, Hotel Chocolat draws inspiration from their restaurant in the St Lucian Boucan hotel and from their Rabot 1745 restaurant in London. You'll find seemingly outlandish recipes that feature chocolate in a number of savoury recipes. White chocolate mashed potato was one recipe I tried recently and delicious it was too, if a little unusual.

If you know someone who loves to experiment with new flavour combinations in the kitchen, get them a copy of this book.

  • Author: Hotel Chocolat
  • Publisher: Headline Publishing in March 2015
  • ISBN-10: 147222454X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1472224545
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: £20

Hotel Chocolat: A New Way of Cooking with Chocolate

See it on Amazon°


Chocolate Making Adventures: Create Your Own Chocolate

Chocolate Making Adventures: Create Your Own Chocolate
Photo credit to Amazon

If, after tasting a diverse range of chocolate bars, you know someone who is compelled to have a go themselves, this chocolate making bible is ideal.

Instead of using melted chocolate from the supermarket as a base, this book explores the idea of making chocolate from scratch. It's got all the information you need to become a home chocolatier, along with helpful step-by-step photographs.

The book also covers how to make vegan milk and dark chocolates, and even "chocolate-free chocolate" made with carob.

  • Author: Rosen Trevithick
  • Publisher: Trevithick Press in November 2015
  • ISBN-10: 1519365799
  • ISBN-13: 978-1519365798
  • Pages: 100
  • RRP: £10

Chocolate Making Adventures: Create Your Own Chocolate by Rosen Trevithick

See it on Amazon°


Have you read any of these books? Do you have a recommendation that's not on my list? Tell me about your favourite chocolate books in the comments below.

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Desserts Collection Personalised Photo Box

Personalised Gifts at Lily O'Brien's°

Ireland's Lily O'Brien's Chocolates dates back to 1992 when Mary Ann O'Brien discovered her true passion for all thing's chocolate, naming the company after her daughter. Today, from the heart of Co. Kildare, the company creates a wide range of chocolate treats, from chocolate gifts through to assorted selection boxes. They also offer a selection of personalised boxes.

Shop at Lily O'Brien's°

Save 20% on your chocolate gifts. Exclusions apply. Use code LSZ20 at the checkout. Shop at Lily O'Brien's°

Ends on Thursday 27th August 2026. Terms and exclusions may apply. See website for details.