Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner
Reviews (173)
THE chocolate book to buy to learn about chocolate making
I recently took several chocolate making classes from Chef Marco Ropke, head pastry chef at the Beijing Ritz Carlton during the 2008 Olympics, and in class, he basically suggested that if we were to buy any one chocolate book, THIS book was it. Why? It's a comprehensive 4 in 1 book: 1) The science behind chocolate, sugarwork and the various components. Why might you want to include glucose in your chocolate and not just any sugar syrup? What is the difference between using agar-agar, gelatin, pectin and cornstarch in making gummies and jellies? This type of information helped me better understand why some of the steps to chocolate making mattered, and also gave me more comfort in knowing where I could deviate from recipes (e.g. I can add whatever liquid flavourings I want so long as I add them at the right time and keep my fats to liquid ratio consistent). 2) Techniques - how do you temper chocolate? how do you make aero-bar style chocolates? what's the proper way to handle ganaches or molded chocolates? how do you make a praline or marzipan? what's the secret to those meltaway type chocolates? what about the honeycomb material inside crunchie bars? 3) Troubleshooting - invariably a chocolate recipe will go wrong. how do you save a ganache that's been separated? why did your pates de fruit sweat and what can you do about it? 4) LOADS of really delicious recipes from chai tigers to a thai lemongrass truffle or toucan passionfruit chocolate to marshmallows, nougats, chocolate bars, candy crisps, caramels, fudges and more. I made several recipes (scaled down since the recipes are for ~180 truffles each!) from the book and they have all been hits. I have ordered more chocolate and I can't wait to try more. The book also included suggested equipment and a brief explanation of some of the tools and why they were important. The one thing missing from the book that I wish they spent time on was decorating in general -- the different techniques for finishing chocolates such as adding chocolate swirls, etc. To be fair each recipe has a description for how to finish the chocolate such as adding bits of salt or adding candied fruit bits and they did show you how to make spiked chocolates, but I wanted to know more about selecting colours and other types of chocolate flourishes. In all it's a pricey, but valuable book that I anticipate I will be referencing a lot as I continue to learn and make chocolates.
To put it simply... its a great book to learn your basics.
This is the second time I've purchased this book. I used it and others to build my business and have won many awards based on technique I learned from this book. It is a great book to learn the basics and build from there. My first book is full of chocolate and sugar and in pretty poor shape.... so yes, to put it simply, it is a great book. Hopefully, the second book will see the same love! I've included a small sample of my work.
Amazing theory and recipes! (Homecook)
Amazing. The first 100+ pages are pretty heavy in chemistry, but if you can make your way through it then you’re practical understanding and confidence in chocolate making will be through the roof. Note: I’m an avid home cook and have never been able to successfully temper chocolate prior to reading this. I’ve only tried two recipes (but used all three methods of tempering successfully), one I followed exactly and it was SO PERFECTLY balanced (chocolate, caramel, pumpkin and spices). The second one I adapted and while I’m actually just partially through it it’s been very easy to follow and even troubleshoot stress free because of all the additional knowledge you get pre-recipes. I’ve done truffles (setting now) and molded chocolates. After my first recipe my confidence in my understanding and ability to work with chocolate is super high. Though I was super nervous prior to completing it also because of all the chemistry, but don’t worry, it’s totally attainable!
Thoroughly Impressed
This was an amazing cookbook. I don't say that lightly. I was genuinely and delightfully surprised that I really want to & will make ALL the recipes in this book in the coming months/years. Usually in cookbooks there are a great many recipes you pass over and don't want to make - you buy the book for the few that you do like. This book is the exception. It exceeded my expectations in recipes and instruction. This is a intermediate or advanced cookbook, but easy to follow. The pictures are beautiful. The photos help you see what the end product will look like. This cookbook is also a great reference with charts, photos, trouble shooting, and step by step technique. This is easily in the top 5 cookbooks I own. I would recommend to anyone wanting to know how to make confections like: homemade marshmallows (not as easy as you would think but DEFINITELY worth the effort), gourmet lollipops in every flavor you can come up with, jellied childhood favorites, to every kind of chocolate delight you will find in a chocolaterie. Highly recommend. I will be looking for more books by this author.
Brilliant and formidable
This is a culinary textbook with background and how-to, written for intermediate to advanced skill level and professionals. Beautiful production value with photographs, illustrations, solid binding and heavy paper. Probably weighs >5#. Introduction section includes handy lists specify basic and advanced tools and equipment targeted to daily/hourly production volume; recommended shop layout, and process flow diagrams. Love the background and science on ingredients, their function/role in confection, and source information. If you’re really into the textbook approach, it’s a great book by an experienced professional who teaches other professionals how to do this (for a living!). A challenge for some may be needing an assistant (teacher) to assist in the practice of some recipes and techniques. Mise!...gotta keep mise en place! Oh, the marshmallows, oh my. And the relatively easy meltaways (mint, peanut butter). Mmm! I’m an advanced hobbyist, love cooking and reading cookbooks, and this is almost too much for me. (Almost.) This is way (way, way!) more than a hobbyist or dabbler needs. If you don’t have much experience in confection-making, I highly recommend Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook - Gutman/King) But if you like to learn and appreciate pushing yourself and your skills, this is fantastic!
Aspiring Chocolatier Must Have!
This book is a must-have for an aspiring chocolatier. This is way more than just a recipe book; it's a technical textbook for making chocolates and other candies. It clearly breaks down the science of candy-making in a laymen terms. It has beautiful pictures and is easy to understand. There are some technical terms or jargon, but they are clearly explained. The one caveat of this book is that it assumes most home cooks or chefs have expensive confectionary equipment. I wish they would list more affordable equipment alternatives for the average home cook. Overall, I am happy I purchased this book. I am confident once I master then techniques in this book, I would be an excellent self-taught chocolatier.
It has big words.
I kept trying to find the definition of aerator in the book. Not there and when I google or bing the word it brought up sceptic tanks. Not really what this book is for. SO, its interesting and a challenge to understand and read. You can not just go to the back and read the recipes and think you can do them as they are all written with the words you and I do not use on a daily basis. Sugar has five or ten different names. Again, its a challenge to understand some of it and you have to read it from the start. Even then, you will find yourself questioning different methods and or ways of making candy and chocolate. I think it was intended to be used in class rather than just as a stand alone.
Science! delicious candy science
This is a science book with information and experiments that produce candy. You find: New words to learn. New methods to master. Ingredients your can only find online or in a restaurant supply store. If you love to learn and find candy interesting this is the book for you. There's beautiful photos and detailed recipes (metic) I included a photo of a page to show the science, a photo to show the beautiful photos and a photo of part of a recipe (I didn't want to violate copyright laws)
Big and heavy with lots of photos - great text - fabulous book on one of my favorite topics
Purchased for a (whoopee) college class in chocolate and confections and a very thorough thick heavy colorful text. Book must weigh 3 lbs and is not easy to transport or study from. But if you don't have a teacher this could probably see you into a good career in chocolate making. Great text.
Print very difficult to read
The information in the book is fanatic but the print is grey and very light: Even in good light it is hard to read. I am going to get 350 reading glasses in the morning. The Sibley bird book was printed the same way. The publisher reprinted the book and send out the new ones for free. My vision is 20 -20.
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