A Baker’s Passport, takes home cooks on a pastry chef’s tour of the world’s culinary capitals.

The holiday season is all about family and friends gathering together around the dining table.  Nothing says celebration like a recipe that was baked with love. Baking is an international language, an art form, and for some, a calling. The term applies to everything that comes out of the oven: soufflés, meat and poultry, cakes, sweet and savory pies, breads, and of course cookies.

Food writer, pastry chef and educator, Susie Norris wants to help home cooks celebrate the holidays with home-baked meals and mood-lifting sweets from around the world.  In her new cookbook, A Baker’s Passport , Susie shares over 200 technique-driven recipes culled from her global travels and her award-winning blog, Food Market Gypsy, designed to inspire home cooks as well as experienced chefs.

“I’m a lifelong, culinary road-tripper traveling through the world’s great food towns and traditions to explore what is baking where. This book visits beautiful countries with artisan baking traditions,” says Norris. “By exploring recipes in their regions, we help keep those traditions alive and relevant.”

A Baker's Passport presents recipes with easy-to-follow steps and measurements. The photography is beautifully simple and highlights the detail of each dish, often with travel photos from its region. Recipes include sweet and savory favorites perfect for the holidays such as:

Chocolate Pots de Crème FROM Chantilly, FRANCE

Yield: 4–6 servings

Level: Medium

Equipment: medium bowl, small saucepan, ramekins or 1 (9-inch) cake pan, deep baking dish

Time: 1 hour (plus 2 hours for chilling)

For the Pots de Crème:

4 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1 egg

2 egg yolks

¼ cup (2 ounces) granulated sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk

½ cup (4 ounces) heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

For the Chantilly Cream:

1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

-       Preheat the oven to 300°F.

-       Place the melted chocolate in a medium bowl, then add the egg, egg yolks, and sugar and whisk together; set aside.

-       In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream, vanilla, and salt together over medium heat and bring to a simmer (also known as “scalding”) with bubbles along the edges of the liquid. Pour a small amount (about ½ cup) into the chocolate mixture and stir. Continue to add the milk mixture slowly to the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly until all of the milk mixture is incorporated.

-       Using a ladle or large spoon, divide the batter into 4–6 (3-inch-wide) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish filled with 2 inches of water. Bake for about 30–35 minutes until the sides of the custard are firm and the interiors are slightly fluid in the center.

-       Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

-       Meanwhile, prepare the Chantilly Cream. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat to full volume, about 2–3 minutes.

-       Top the custards with Chantilly Cream. Serve on a plate with cookies and berries.