Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth    by Jill O'Connor Order:  USA  Can Chronicle, 2007 (2007) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Belle Dessler There's only one thing that's better than rich, delicious, mouthwatering chocolate. And that's rich, delicious mouthwatering chocolate baked in an equally gooey treat, the kind that sticks to your fingers, your chin and your napkin and demands to be licked off. In Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, Jill O'Connor celebrates the joy of baking such delicious confections in a way that brings out the inner child in all of us. In her Introduction, O'Connor tells us she was inspired to bake these wonderful treats by reading stories as a child, such as Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, where 'food isn't just sustenance. It is adventure. It is magic.' The recipes in this book are 'inspired by stories, traveling, and dreams, where calories don't matter and all that is important is the pleasure of the moment; moments discovering new tastes and textures and flavors; and the resonating joy of sharing something delicious with someone you love.' As you'd expect from a cookbook dedicated to messy chocolate treats, the full-color photographs are absolutely delightful. Best of all, the recipes are spelled out in easy-to-understand terms, and they all seem surprisingly simple to replicate in a home kitchen. O'Connor takes the time to introduce us to the ingredients she uses most often, as well as to the equipment we can expect to call upon while creating the recipes. But if the pictures and recipes aren't enough to tempt you, the names of these fabulous desserts are sure to entice even the most stubborn chocolate lover. Try the Dark Chocolate Soup with Cinnamon-Toasted Pound-Cake Croutons, Grilled Chocolate Pound-Cake Sandwiches a la Mode, All-Grown-Up S'mores and Sticky Fingers Triple-Chocolate Ice-Cream Sandwiches. Still not convinced? How about adding Sweet Pink Grapefruit-Tangerine Mousse with Crispy Phyllo Ruffles to your menu? Or a slice of Bahama Mama Banana Rum Cake? No matter how sophisticated your chocolate tastes may be, you'll find what you're after in this glorious cookbook. And if you're craving something classic and comforting, like Banana Sundaes and Cheesecake pops, you'll find those here, too. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews