OP: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts

Knopf, 1981. Hardcover. Very Good Plus in Very Good jacket. 

Maida Heatter (1916–2019), whose baking career began during World War II when she and her mother made hundreds of dozens of cookies to send to the troops overseas, wrote seven great cookbooks between 1974 and 1995. This concentrated output of creative energy made an epic contribution to the home baking world.

Heatter’s meticulous attention to detail made her a reliable and trusted author, and her recipes and cookbooks have remained popular, as they are shared and passed down to younger generations. Despite their popularity, all the original books went out of print. Three compilations have been published in recent years, however, repackaging some of the earlier material. 

We offer here her much-loved third book, Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (1980), a celebration of all things chocolate.  In it she covers everything from a torte served on the Orient Express to whoopie pies to a mocha-brandy chocolate shake. Essential for chocolate enthusiasts. 

Our copy is a 1981 sixth printing in unusually excellent condition, not a stray drop of chocolate cake batter within its pages.  We would call this a Very Good Plus example with a Very Good, price clipped jacket. Minimal shelfwear, though the front flap bears a crease from top to bottom. A wonderful addition to a collector’s shelf or for a home baker getting into the swing of things.