MAI DA HEATTER'S BOOK OF GREAT CHOCOLATE DESSERTS

I never know what to answer,"" gushes Heatter apropos of her coffee-chocolate butter-crunch pie, ""when people tell me, as they often do, that this is better than sex."" Well, to each his own. Here, for an undoubtedly large congregation, is the Word made chocolate--drop cookies, brownies, cheesecakes, tortes, frozen mousses, fudge sauces, layer cakes, icebox cookies, and (a current gourmet abomination) chocolate-dipped strawberries. Overall, the quality of the recipes is spectacularly good, and they are adequately varied. There is a selection of more everyday desserts like whole-wheat chocolate-chip cookies or sour-cream cakes; but more characteristic are a three-layer cheesecake, ""Chocolat Regal"" (a densely rich chilled confection), and a cold ""mousse-torte."" Those who merely like chocolate on occasion may find all this a bit much, especially in combination with the Heatter prose style; chocolate fiends, on the other hand, will eat it up, icing and all.