Making Artisan Chocolates | Andrew Garrison Shotts

Making Artisan Chocolates | Andrew Garrison Shotts | Great Book

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Making Artisan Cho...

	Making Artisan Chocolates Andrew Garrison Shotts Quarry Books, 2007 - 176 pages average customer review:based on 20 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Forget milk chocolate molded into childish candy bars. Today's chocolate candies use chocolates with high cocoa content and less sugar then previously available and are molded into highly decorated pieces of art. Once only accessible to pastry chefs and candy makers, home cooks can now purchase high-end domestic and imported chocolates in their local specialty stores. The recent availability of bittersweet chocolates coupled with our access to a global food market and unique ingredients has created an increased interest in artisanal chocolates. Drew Shotts has been at the forefront of this renaissance because of his daring use of unique flavor combinations not typically associated with chocolates, such as chili peppers, maple syrup, and spiced chai tea. Making Artisan Chocolates shows readers how to recreate Drew's unexpected flavors at home through the use of herbs, flowers, chilies, spices, vegetables, fruits, dairies and liquors.

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Very useful book

This is a good and very useful book. Several recipes are included that can be made by the beginner, and several that require more experience. Even so, the statement by another reviewer that a reader should be prepared to spend some money on practice ingredients is a good one. Tempering the chocolate is absolutely key to making good artisan chocolates, and reading a book cannot substitute for practice and experience. Many of the flavors included in this volume are unusual and not ones you'll find in your local chocolate store.

Great Book

This book is great for anyone who wishes to make great chocolate confections at home. Schotts offers 3 various types of chocolates as well as alternative confections at the end of the book. It's an easy read, and easy to follow directions. Get some good quality chocolate, some candy molds, a dipping fork, and get to work!! As another reviewer stated, even without the special equipment, you can still have fun making the chocolates in this book. A highly recommended book.

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Perfect!

This is a great book for the beginning chocolatier and maybe for those with more experience, too. The author clearly and concisely describes each step of the process, taking the mystery out, including identifying his own preferences for certain products and methods and explaining why. Recipes are straightforward and contemporary, things you'd be proud and excited to present as gifts to others, or just to try for yourself. I used the library to look at almost every "Chocolate" book available, but this one and Chocolates & Confections by Peter Greweling weren't available, so I bit the bullet and ordered them. I'm very glad I did! They are both so much better than the rest of what's out there. I will be using everything in this book, from cover to cover.

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My quip is with the editorial review...

"Drew Shotts has been at the forefront of this renaissance because of his daring use of unique flavor combinations not typically associated with chocolates, such as chili peppers, maple syrup, and spiced chai tea."

Humbug, pure and simple.

Chiles are basically THE traditional compliment to chocolate, back to ancient Americans. AND, chocolatiers have knonw this since they began.

Maple has been a common North American accompanyment to chocolate throught history: from maple creme centers (ala Joy of Cooking) to maple syrup on chocolate chip pancakes.

Chai tea? Come on: Maybe a new thing to American audiences, but hardly to England or the the Near East. Teas and other herbs, flowers and spices are traditional flavorings for confections, all the way back to Turkish Delight! Rose water anyone?

Yes, it may be a good book with specific chocolate making instructions, and it may have some wonderful gourmet recipes, but nothing is truly revolutionary.

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A must-have for chocolate lovers

The only area for improvement in this excellent book is a few more photographs of the finished recipes. Of course, with so many great recipes, that would double the size of the book, but it's definitely worth getting.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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