Product Description
Few sweets epitomize the luxurious indulgence of gourmet chocolate like truffles, and now these fine desserts can be made effortlessly in your own home. In Truffles, Dede Wilson presents 50 clear, easy-to-follow recipes for delicious truffles using milk, dark, and white chocolate infused with a variety of fabulous flavorings, such as raspberry, ginger, espresso, cognac, passion fruit, hazelnut, and champagne. Filled with gorgeous, mouthwatering 4-color photographs, Truffles also features tips on truffle-making basics, choosing the right chocolate, decorating and storing truffles, and creative ideas for packaging truffles as gifts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Very Informative
I really enjoyed this book. It gave me quite an insight into the world of chocolate and truffles. The recipes are simple and I'm having so much fun trying them out. Glad I picked up this book.

Great flavors, bad chemistry
I have been making candies for over 10 years and am always looking for new flavors to try.I bought a copy of this cookbook with that hope.
There are a great variety of flavors and ideas however, I'm not sure all of these are tested recipes.
The Matcha Green Tea and the Ancho Chile Cinnamon did solidify well enough to roll and dip but others did not.I tried many of them and these were the only two that made it.While the others tasted great, they were total flops.Even when I made candy from this book on low humidity days, that did not help. I would suggest buyer beware especially since Wilson suggests purchasing higher end couverture chocolate.

value for money
A simple to follow little book dedicated to all things truffles. Easy to follow instruction, a little repetitive, however there is plenty of variety and something to please everyones pallett. If you are looking for something more challenging than this is not for you.

This is a book?!
Okay, it really is my fault, I didn't look at the details. I wanted to get my mom some chocolates and I sent her a book instead. The title doesn't say its a book so I should have looked at the details. Who wants to make truffles anyway?

Truffles de-mystified
I have had this book in my library for quite some time and finally used it last year for the first time to make Christmas gifts for friends and family. This book has very easy to follow instructions for anyone to make a very wide assortment of these chocolate delights and really impress your friends. Apart from a wide range of recipes the author has also included helpful information on tips and tricks to achieve consistent results. Unfortunately the "complete disaster" reviwer Sly Hallman, obviously didn't have much luck with his truffles. I suspect that he didn't follow the recipes properly or used substandard ingredients. Using quality ingredients as in any recipe will greatly affect the results. ... Read more

Product Description
Known as the "Picasso of chocolatiers," Michael Recchiuti creates confections that are every bit as daring and original as any of his namesake's artworks. But unlike the painter, the chocolate maker has made it possible for even the amateur to achieve his artistry. In Chocolate Obsession Recchiuti, owner of the famed artisanal chocolate company in San Francisco, divulges his professional secrets and techniques, allowing home cooks to reproduce his exquisite confections in their own kitchens.

Opening with a complete discussion of chocolate from bean to bar, the book goes on to offer detailed instructions for dipped chocolates, truffles, and molded chocolates, including Recchiuti's signature ganache flavors: Earl Grey tea, burnt caramel, tarragon with grapefruit. Also featured are recipes for such sinfully delicious treats as Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Truffle Cream Filling, Double Dark Chocolate Soufflés, and Rocky Recchiuti Brownies. With more than 60 recipes in all, this book will satisfy even the most obsessive chocolate lovers among us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Excellent book!Melt in your mouth/to die for!
This book is to die for!Love the contents.Its a wonderful book, everything and more than we expected.My daughter loves it!Great gift for any female!

Great gift for the more adventurous baker
I got this as a gift to go along with a chocolate lover's basket of gourmet cooking goodies.The book is definately for someone more advanced, has great ideas.I'm thinking about getting this for myself!

Great Stuff
I always wanted to make some kind if chocolates and this is the book that inspired me! His directions connected with me instantly. Giving me the confidence I needed. The tarragon with candied grapefruit was my first attempt. Andthey came out exquisit.Lemon verbena and the anise with pink peppercorn were also got rave reviews. The tahitan marshmallows were also a first. Wonderful just wonderful! The malt ice cream ,roasted banana ice cream. And i can go on and on. I'm a middle aged guy who likes to cook and bake and now i do chocolates. Get the book, you'll be very happy you did.

Professional recipes, must have for serious chocolatier
Contents of book: About 25 chocolate candy recipes (1/2 the book), Snacks (brownies, cookies, cupcakes, souflees), chocolate drinks, and ice creams.

The best part of this book is that Recchiuti gives you the recipes of the real chocolates that he sells on his website and stores. Tea, Burnt Caramel, tarragon/grapefruit, cardamonom, malt with honeycomb, fleur de sel, rose caramel, kona, ginger, and so on - they are all there. Given that Recchiuti is known as one of the top chocolatiers in the country, this is really incredible.If you are aserious chocolate candy maker, this book is a must-have.

The difficulty level of this book is hard for chocolates, easy for other parts. Most of the chocolate recipes use invert sugar (not a common ingredient).Some of the spices are specialized (verbena, or rose water).Molding technique is obviously difficult. On the other hand, the other sections are at a much lower level of difficulty.

This book is not heavy on technique pictures or descriptions of techniques.You almost have to know the techniques before you do them.


If you are looking for chocolate techniques, "chocolate confections" by Greweling is a better book, as is "Making Artisan Chocolates" by Shotts.
To me, this is more of a ganache recipe book.


For me, the bottom line is that Recchiuti shares his recipes for his *entire line* of top end chocolates.He's giving away all his trade secrets in this book.You gotta have it for that reason.

A Chocolate Lover's Dream
A very well written and thought out book, beautiful photographs and excellent recipes that are easy to follow.A must have for chocoholics. ... Read more

Product Description
This book might easily be the most lavish, the most complete, and most beautiful book ever published on the subject of that most sensuous of all foodsÂ--chocolate. Filled with history, anecdotes, and recipes, and featuring hundreds of lavish full-color photos,The Golden Book of Chocolate is literally a chocolate loverÂ's dream come true. A fascinating detailed account chronicles chocolateÂ's origins among the Aztecs of ancient Mexico, its importation to Europe, and the development of the modern chocolate industry as we know it today. But recipes are at the heart of this book. Separate chapters are devoted to chocolateÂ's central role in easy-to-follow recipes for:

•Cookies•Bars and Brownies•Muffins and Cupcakes • Pastries•Elegant Desserts • Piesand Tarts •Puddings and Creams• Tea and Coffee Cakes • Layer Cakes • Candy• Savory Dishes• Drinks• Basic Recipes

Each recipe includes a list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and a large, full-color photo of the finished item. The bookÂ's final Â"Basic RecipesÂ" chapter shows how to prepare chocolate ingredients that go into the making of other chocolate-based delicacies. They include chocolate pastry cream, chocolate custard, chocolate sauce, and several other sumptuous ingredients. This beautiful book is embellished with a ribbon place marker bound into the spine and features golden-tipped page edges.
(sidebar)
A Capsule History of Chocolate
Among the Aztecs the drinking of chocolate was confined to the royal house, the lords, and the nobility. A report by Spanish conquistador Bernial Diaz del Castillo noted that Montezuma drank chocolate several times a day from beakers made of pure gold. The Spanish brought chocolate to Europe in the late 1500s, and by the 1660s it was a favorite drink of Renaissance Italian noblemen. In the 1800s it became a popular drink among the literary figures who gathered in LondonÂ's coffee houses, and in the nineteenth century the worldÂ's first chocolate candy was produced in the city of Bristol, England . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Beautiful book
This book is just pretty to look at.Most of the recipes are great but some are a little to fancy for me.The basic recipes are good though!

Great chocolate cookbook
Chocolate recipes are one of my favorite things to make.The problem with some cookbooks is there are very few pictures and the layout can be confusing.With this book, there are tons of color photos to get an idea of what the recipe should look like.There are recipes for all sorts of chocolate, including some savory dishes.The variety is great.It also has a fabulous section on different types of chocolate and where chocolate originated from.Each recipe is also rated from easy to difficult, so whether you're an amature or an expert, you're sure to find a recipe that suits you.There is one recipe per page, so the book is clear and easy to read.I'd reccomend this book to anyone who loves to cook with chocolate.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! THE WORST COOKBOOK EVER!
I am a pastry chef and was thrilled when I got this book for a gift. I have tried several recipes and each one was severely flawed!!!The chocolate eclair recipe was my first.There are many things wrong with this recipe, the pastry cream recipe is incorrect, missing important details in the instructions.Pastry cream must be brought to a high enough temperature to thicken, the recipe only says to simmer for 2 minutes.This omission is detrimental to the recipe.There are flat out instructions missing in many of the recipes, steps left out and often inappropriate amounts for the ingredients.After many attempts and many dollars wasted on ingredients....THIS BOOK IS GOING IN THE TRASH!!!Save yourself the frustration and do not buy this!!!

beautiful book
I bought this as a gift for a chocoholic who loves cookbooks.It was a big hit--It is a lovely book to look at.It is full of interesting recipes and there is a very lengthy introduction on the history of chocolate.It's clear this book was put together by people who are serious about chocolate.The recipes don't have any introductions or comments, which is a pity, but they appear pretty straightforward.We haven't made any of them yet, so I don't know how good the recipes are.

How can one go wrong with chocolate?
I got this book from the library originally and had to have it. So many recipes, so little time.I made the dark chocolate ganache for filling for a vanilla cake. So rich and delicious. It got rave reviews.The book is filled with recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins, pastries, pies and frostings. There are candy, ice cream and custard sections. The holidays will soon be here. This book would be a great gift for the baker or wanna be baker in your life. ... Read more

Product Description
Concealed within Bittersweet Journey's provocative andorginal chocolate-box design is an exquisitely written novel -romantic, nostalgic, delicately humorous - sprinkled with the author'sown luscious photographs and her aphrodisiac passion forchocolate. Charlotte leaves her husband in a quest for more - love,sex, chocolate - lured by her craving from Greenwich Village to thechocolate capitals of the world. Perhaps most enticing of all, theinclusion of evocative color photographs of the world's bestchocolates, the addresses of the chocolatiers who make them, andseveral quintessential recipes for chocolate desserts, allows readersto make Charlotte's journey their own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A delight for all the senses.
The photography, the story, the knowledge of chocolate -- altogether Enid Futterman's Bittersweet Journey is a delight for all the senses. Perhapsthe first of its kind, it is a visual novel, and it is just beautiful. Inthis deliciously rich and psychologically profound piece of work, thephotography is every bit as evocative as the narrative.

It is the storyof a woman sprung loose from her marriage who begins an obsessive journeyto find the right man via the great capitals of chocolate. Sampling lovethe way she samples truffles, Charlotte scours Vienna, Munich, Zurich,Brussels, London, Paris, Hawaii, New York and New Hapshire (where the mostdelicious real ganache is housed in the unlikely bodies of chocolate mice)finding bad boys and beautiful chocolates to arouse her.

But mostsignificantly, Bittersweet Journey is the story of journey into theinterior of a woman, a dark tour of the female psyche where longing andlove are indistinguishable. Enid Futterman writes in a sharp, spare, deeplypoetic way that is reminiscent of Jean Rhys and Marguerite Duras, and comesup with something that will resonate in the heart, mind and palate for along time to come.

A Rich, Dark Treat for Your Heart
The author tells us, in a whispered and poetic voice, an intimate story of her search for love and chocolate across continents and years.On the way, we learn how love and chocolate conspire to fuel her odyssey.BittersweetJourney's end reveals that, at least for Charlotte, you can go home again.

A Bittersweet (and delicious) Journey
Thank you, thank you for the incredible experience of having a book, in its simplicity, tenderly assault one's senses in so many ways. I feel completely saturated, utterly spiritually fulfilled, and terribly well fed.

An excellent and very unique book.
Like a fine truffle this book seems best consumed in one or two bites ... marvelous bites.The text is the most poetic prose I have read in some time, and the stunning photographs (also by the author) make the variouschocolates as delicious, alive and sensuous as the book's heroine,Charlotte.I found the "journey" hauntingly appealing.It isalternately nostalgic, melancholy, exciting, intriguing, fulfilling ... butalways permeated by an atmosphere of longing and the"bittersweet."

It is also a most unique and sophisticated book. The chocolate stands as both metaphor and solid object in the writing,with recipes for some of its delicacies spelled out in an appendix.Thedesign of the book and its pages is beautiful, unusual and clever: aperfect complement to the text.Yet it is one of the rare cases where thewhole seems even greater than some very high-quality parts.A deliciousbook.

So much more than "a chocolate lovers romp"
Deep questions are looked at and lived .Wisdom gained by walking the razor's edge is on on nearly every page .

I know several people who needthese questions explored and I'm gladthere is thisbooktorecommend.

There is more than enough chocolate lore and lust foranyone...and who thought there ever COULD be enough?

Fnid Futtermanunderstands .

Also having Ms Futterman's ownphotos illustrateherjourney added, on many levels, a wholeness of vision .

Chocolate isitself... and a metaphor for much.

This book will take you as deep asyou want to go and most likely futher than you thought possible

It'sdeep fun. ... Read more

Product Description
Chocolate cake is America’s favorite dessert, from fudgy brownies to mile-high layer cakes. Now, virtually every rendition of this best-loved dessert is presented in one tempting volume–more than 150 cakes for every occasion.

Bestselling cookbook author and pastry chef Michele Urvater has collected and reinterpreted the finest recipes from American and European baking traditions. Here are easy homemade classics such as old-fashioned Devil’s Food Cake and Buttermilk Chocolate Cake as well as more challenging pastry-shop fare such as Sacher Torte, Hungarian Dobos Torte, and a festive Double Chocolate Christmas Log.There are heirloom cakes that date to the beginning of the last century and desserts as up-to-the-minute as individual warm chocolate cakes.

Urvater guides bakers of all skill levels through a wealth of original and tempting variations on the standards, such as Pecan Bourbon Chocolate Cake or Hawaiian Coconut Cake with White Chocolate Ganache. And a plethora of fillings, icings, buttercreams, and glazes allows for nearly endless mixing and matching of layers and frostings.

Each recipe has a designated level of difficulty, so even the novice baker will be able to achieve instant success–and chocolate gratification.Meticulous recipes along with advice on advance preparation, serving, decoration, and storage all make this comprehensive tribute to the ultimate dessert a book that belongs in every baker’s library.
Amazon.com Review
From the "mix-and-dump" variety to the exquisitely layered and filled Marjolaine, Michele Urvater's Chocolate Cake makes sure that no matter how much time you have or your level of kitchen experience--whether you prefer sweet to bitter chocolate, whether you're looking for something fancy to impress or something easy to make someone happy--you will find a chocolate cake to fit the bill in this book.

Urvater has both studied and taught the culinary arts, and readers reap the benefits of her knowledge. She begins with a clear and informative chapter on ingredients, one on baking equipment, and one on techniques, and then organizes the recipes from simple to most complex. Because they are all chocolate cakes, chapters are divided by technique. Plain and Easy Batter Cakes include easy favorites like the Classic Brownie, with its crispy crunchy top protecting a moist and chewy interior, and a Chocolate Pudding Cake, a soufflé-like cake on top of a custardy layer--heavenly when warm from the oven. A short chapter on cheesecakes gets creative with smooth and silky creations such as the Berry White Chocolate Cheesecake. Butter and Shortened Cakes start with the Dependable Chocolate Pound Cake with numerous variations, and move on to the most delectable, delicious, and easy-to-make Chocolate Banana Tea Cake. Rich and moist, studded with chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit, it is with great pleasure that we read that it's "fabulous for breakfast." Urvater continues to tempt with foam cakes, biscuit cakes, individual cakes, flourless cakes, and icings, and then explains a number of fancy decorative techniques like Caramel Shards and Meringue Mushrooms.

Even though everything is chocolate, the varieties are endless. With 150 recipes for desserts like Streusel-Woven Chocolate Coffee Cake, Minted Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Flourless Cake with Lemon, and the Gianduja (an aromatic hazelnut praline and chocolate "creamy concoction"), no chocolate lover should be without this delectably chocolate volume. --Leora Y. Bloom ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Dana Vigilante's Cakes
If you are looking for the best cakes in the tri-state area, I strongly suggest contacting Dana Vigilante.However, if you are looking for one of those theme, fondant crusted cakes - look elsewhere, you won't find Dana making them.Rather, you will find her cakes and desserts unique, elegant and beyond anything you've ever tried before in your life.

I've had her Salted Caramel Ganache cake on three different occasions, the first time being in a restaurant in Central Jersey, where it was on the dessert menu for $12.50. The second time was at a friends bookclub.I contacted her shortly thereafter having it at the restaurant (the restaurant refused to give me her personal info, I had to do a little research), to make a cake for my husband's 45th surprise party.People who had this cake at the party are still talking about it.Here is the best part about Dana - she isn't a "cake diva" who thinks she's God.Rather, she is a gorgeous 40-something Italian, who works in the medical industry full-time.She is friendly and approachable.If you call her, she actually picks up the phone - none of the "I'm too busy being a cakediva to answer your call, but leave a message and I might call you back". She started Brown-Eyed Girl Cakes last year, because she said, baking gives her a diversion at the end of the day.The other great thing is the fact that she doesn't charge 500.00 (or even $100.00, for that matter) for her cakes, like other cake makers do.Her cakes are extremely reasonable and I know that the caramel salted cake must cost her alot to make.However, I have the feeling that even if she did charge hundreds of dollars, she would still have a great clientele. I love working with her and alot of my friends have contacted her to do afew different cakes.She is currently doing about five or six different desserts right now and I think about six or seven restaurants in NJ carry her cakes on their dessert menu's and 2 or 3 in NYC and Nyack do the same.I would highly recommend contacting Dana if you would like an extraordinary dessert.

I highly recommend Dana if you are looking for a classy, uniquely decadent cake.She delivers within the tri-state area and she is an absolute pleasure to deal with.

150 Chocolate Cakes!
Who doesn't love Chocolate Cake?Flourless?Layer?Angel Food?Genoise?Chiffon? Cheesecake? Black Forest? Grand Mariner?They're all here - and more.I have hundreds of cookbooks and this is one of my favorites.The volume is logically divided into four sections: Part Oneis a superb 50-page section dedicated to "Ingredients, Equipment, and Techniques"; Part Two gives recipes for more than 150 cakes; Part Three is 37 pages devoted to "Frostings, Buttercreams, Icings, Fillings, and Glazes"; the last section consists of "Decorative Techniques" including presentations, plating, and garnishes.The final installment provides a helpful glossary, a list of sources for equipment and ingredients, and an excellent bibliography.

The recipes are sound and many are creative, including two employing chestnuts (I love chestnuts, especially with chocolate): Rum Chestnut Chocolate Cake and Autumn Chestnut Cake. Two of the 18 reviewers gave the book one star, with one reviewer complaining that "one recipe after another proved dull, tasteless, and dry."Another complained that the "Chocolate Chocolate Tea Cake" was a dismal failure after three tries.Not having made that particular cake, I cannot comment on personal experience - and will probably avoid that recipe - but perhaps the reviewer used natural cocoa as opposed to Dutch process without making adjustments for the baking powder.In recipes with leavening, natural and Dutch process cocoas are generally not interchangeable.Also, the brand of cocoa can vastly change the outcome of a cake.The Cook's Illustrated staff baked the same cake with Pernigotti Cocoa and Droste Cocoa with remarkably different outcomes - the Pernigotti producing "a very moist, soft crumb" and the Droste producing a cake that was "a bit dry with a more open crumb." My experience with these two cocoas has been identical and I'm a huge fan of Pernigotti cocoa (made in Italy and available exclusively at Williams-Sonoma).Although I like Valrhona chocolate, I find their cocoa to be sub-par. The brand and type of cocoa does matter. Perhaps, too, the reviewers did not properly sift or measure the flour - or use the right kind of flour.The tea cake may indeed be flawed - or the recipe may be misprinted. The recipe for "White Cake Layers" is not one I would choose - I much prefer the Cook's Illustrated "Classic White Layer Cake", which is hands-down, the very best in terms of taste and texture. But this is supposed to be a book about chocolate cake.

There aren't many photographs, but I don't think the book suffers as a result.Each recipe is laid out as a numbered series of steps and marked with a "Level of Difficulty"- so the baker can feel confident about the final outcome.The fonts are easy to read, as is the "Index".The book is a comfortable size and the permanent cover can be wiped clean.

Urvater has a friendly and approachable tone (unlike Pamela Asquith's book on the "Ultimate Chocolate Cake"). While I have a great respect for the chemistry of baking and I'm choosy about using quality ingredients, I dislike cookbook authors whose fundamentalist approaches stifle creativity.A good cookbook should inspire, not discourage - and this one makes you want to get out to the kitchen and play.Highly recommended for bakers at all levels.

Yum!
This delicious cookbook has an incredible variety of chocolate cake and icing recipes (who could imagine so many variations of Devil's Food??). I have made a few cakes from this cookbook, and they have been absolutely to-die-for. My only complaints are: 1. that they don't tell you which recipes produce that heavenly-looking slice of cake on the dust jacket, and 2. too few color plates! The recipes themselves vary from simple to very complicated, and from lightly to intensely chocolatey. There is sure to be something for everyone who likes chocolate cake here!

Chocolate Lover's Heaven
It would be hard not to like this cookbook. I've made six cakes and one icing so far, and each one has been my "favorite cake ever" until I made the next.

Until I looked through this book, I had no idea there were so many different varieties of chocolate cake. Even if you take away the cakes made from white chocolate, the white and yellow cake layers destined to hold chocolate frostings, and the pudding made with leftover chocolate cake crumbs, Urvater has compiled dozens of exciting recipes that can each undeniably be called chocolate cake. Some are quite exotic - one is made with potatoes, another with beets, still another with tea leaves - while others are straightforward.

Grading the recipes by difficulty level is a nice touch, as are the "plated dessert" suggestions on many of the recipes. The information about ingredients, equipment, and the different categories of cakes is also very useful. I could wish for more pictures, but it's also exciting to make something new and see what it looks like afterwards.

Chocolate Cake for Dummies
This is an excellent book for those who like to make chocolate cakes but may not be a skilled, experienced baker.If you are an average person who is trying to bake that chocolate cake at home, then I can happily recommend this book.

The most important feature of this book is that all recipes are rated according to difficulty.Those who are beginners can choose easy recipes, while those who are already adept at angel food cakes and butter cream frostings can go directly for the complicated ones.Bakers of all abilities will be able to find a recipe that fits your skill level.For example, she correctly identifies French butter cream frostings as difficult.Other recipes that are impressive and seem to be hard are actually easy to do, and this book will rate them as such.

This book has a lot going for it besides the rating system.The first 50 pages or so give you just the right amount of information so you can do the recipes.It is also very good about telling you what kind of equipment you will need for the various recipes.The recipes are clear and easy to follow most of the time.It also has a good dissertation on various types of icings and frostings, and matching them up to various cakes.The only short point here is the subject of matching up refrigerated versus cakes that can be stored at room temperature and what icings and frostings will match them.

There are a few problems, but they are minor.The description of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate is not correct.The statement that margarine can be substituted for baking in all recipes is also not correct, since the margarine can have wildly differing amounts of water that will have unpredictable results on any one recipe.The author is a trained, professional baker.This is often good, as the instructions are based on tried and true professional techniques that really work (which is sadly not true of many books about baking), but she often overestimates the abilities of beginner bakers.The vocabulary can have professional terms or techniques not otherwise explained, and the difficulty rating of some of the recipes should be increased; for example, anything that involves whipping and folding egg whites should be intermediate, not easy. ... Read more

Product Description
Does chocolate really come from beans? How are crayons made? In this fun and informative series, curious readers will discover how some of their favorite products are made from start to finish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Addition to our homeschool Rainforest Unit
I love photo essays like this that allow my kids to see something they may never actually see.This book was great for my first grader to read on his own.Also, it allowed us to explore text features (table of contents, index, page numbers, glossary)for the purposes of finding information.I couldn't have asked for a better book to tie in with our rainforest unit.This is the most useful easy reader we've ever purchased!

Short and small but good
This book has some very good info and pictures, but suffers from the fact that it is very short and very small.It measures a mere 6"X6".I bought it to read to a class, but I doubt they could even see it!Also, it is very short.There are nine photos with 1-2 sentences each.So basically nine page turns and you're done.It's extremely basic and appropriate for very young kids (2-5)only.Here is the entire text:
Page 1: Chocolate is made from cacao beans (photo of beans)
Page 2: First the cacao beans are cooked in ovens.The beans become very hot. (photo of oven)
Page 3: Then a machine grinds the beans (photo of machine)
Page 4: The beans become a thick paste.The paste is mixed with powdered milk and sugar. (photo of glass soup bowls of sugar, powdered milk and choc. paste)
Page 5: Machines mix everything together to make chocolate.The chocolate is very soft (photo of machine)
Page 6: The chocolate cools in pipes.When the chocolate is cooled it becomes thicker. (photo of pipes with choc. coming down)
Page 7: Now the choc. can be used to make candy.The choc. is put into molds to make candy bars. (photo of molds with choc.)
Page 8: The chocolate is cooled in the molds.As the chocolate cools, it hardens (photo of candy bars in molds)
Page 9: Chocolate can be used to make many different kinds of candy (photo of Kisss and bar)

That's it.So if you're looking for more in depth, check out a different book. ... Read more

Product Description
A host of recent studies has revealed news aboutchocolate that at first seems too good to be true. Chocolate protectsyou from heart disease. Chocolate improves cholesterollevels. Chocolate may even help prevent some cancers. Can this be? CanAmerica’s most demonized dessert actually be good for you?

In a word, yes. Evidence is piling up that chocolate has a list ofhealth benefits few foods can match. We’re all familiar withantioxidants, the compounds found in fruits, vegetables, red wine, andtea that prevent heart disease, cancer, and premature aging. What wedon’t hear is that chocolate has the highest concentration ofantioxidants of any food on the planet—ten times that of spinach,five times that of blueberries, and four times that of greentea. Chocolate Unwrapped explains the science behind chocolate’shealth benefits, then goes on to dispel the myths swirling aroundchocolate. Chocolate does not cause acne, allergies, migraines, orhyperactivity. Chocolate has much less caffeine than most peoplethink. And tannins in chocolate actually help prevent cavities, makingchocolate better for teeth than other sweets.

Though there is no proof for chocolate’s reputation as an aphrodisiac(both Casanova and the Aztec emperor Montezuma drank it for thatpurpose), chocolate has clear effects on the brain and mood. Chocolatecontains anandamide, a substance that activates the same receptors inthe brain as marijuana, as well as other chemicals that causesfeelings of excitement and well-being, explaining the natural cravingmany people feel for it.

Chocolate Unwrapped not only explains the positive physical andpsychological effects of chocolate, but goes on to explore thecolorful history, botany, and chemistry of chocolate, so you’llunderstand what to look for and what to avoid. A recipe sectionprovides a multitude of healthy ways to eat chocolate, from flourlesschocolate cake to Mexican mole, and a comprehensive list of resourcestells you where to find the best-quality chocolates in the world. Allthis and more makes Chocolate Unwrapped a book that will change thelives of chocoholics everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

No More Guilt - Eat Chocolate Daily for Your Health
"For 95 percent of its three-thousand-year history, chocolate has been a drink and a health food." ~ pg. 8

"Chocolate Unwrapped" is an intriguing little book that will completely convince you that chocolate is a healthy food. Dark chocolate that is! It is amazing to learn that chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries, oranges, onions or eggplant.

Rowan Jacobsen has a pleasant writing style and draws you into each chapter with tantalizing details. There is a brief discussion about caffeine, theobromine, serotonin, tryptophan, phenylethylamine and anandamide.

If you are concerned about labor practices and environmental issues, Rowan Jacobsen gives information on where to buy the best chocolates so you can eat them guilt free. There is also a chapter of recipes which include a few savory recipes along with the sweet.

Overall, I loved this book and felt the information was presented in a very pleasing manner. It is well organized and covers all the main facts you could ever want to know about how chocolate is made.

If you read this book and are still interested in more information, I can recommend:

Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World's Greatest Food

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

The True History of Chocolate

Chocolate: An Exquisite Indulgence (Miniature Edition)

To try some of the best chocolates in the world:

Leonidas Belgian Chocolates: 1 lb Signature General Assortment

Dagoba Chai (37%) Crystalized Ginger, Chai Spices Bar, 2.0-Ounces Bars (Pack of 12)

~The Rebecca Review

Your starter book on the subject
You need to take some of the more ecstatic conclusions drawn about the health benefits of chocolate contained in this book with a significant pinch of salt. However, unlike in some other books that purport to describe the health benefits of chocolate, at least this one does refer to scientific studies that have been carried out to back up claims, even if it is not always clear exactly which studies are being referred to. By and large the author does not overestimate the potential health benefits of chocolate, but occasionally she uses sweeping statements in favour that are at odds with the scientific evidence she has just cited. That being said this is not a bad book. I would recommend it as a starter on the subject - then use the bibliography at the back of the book to go into more detail. Scientifically proved benefits of chocolate (in the amounts normally consumed by adults) are still relatively limited, but, the fact that science seems to indicate that such a wonderfully indulgent product as chocolate (and I refer to high cocoa solid chcolate here, not milk chocolate) is at worst neutral, rather than bad for you, should be seen as good news in itself!

Chocolate can improve your Health!
It sounds like an oxymoron to most people when you say "Healthy Chocolate". But everything in this book is true, the antioxidants in good chocolate do wonders. Cocoa is a natural anti-inflammatory, and since over 200 diseases start with inflammation and oxidation of the cells, chocolate can help with so many things. I have seen it first hand with so many people I know, who used to have fibro, allergies, diabetes, athritis...amazing. It truly is the "food of the Gods". Don't go eat the candy kind, though, it HAS to be cold-processed chocolate. See [...] for details. I also recommend Dr. Steve Warren's book on this topic, the Healthy Chocolate Desk Reference, he has truly amazing detail in his research!

GREAT BOOK!
Loved the book, a great gift for the chocolate lover in your life! It's very well written and very informative in addition to having some really good recipes included in it.

Best chocolate book ever
Wow. This book really opened my eyes. I've been telling everyone about it. You'll never look at chocolate the same again! Now I try to eat some dark chocolate every day. ... Read more

Product Description
Finally, the truth about chocolate! No expense was spared to bring you Naked Chocolate, an extraordinary raw foods / superfoods book. Naked Chocolate is the product of years of research into superfood nutrition. Absolutely stunning full-color presentation. 2005, 248 pgs., softcover, full-color photographs throughout the entire book. David Wolfe, America's leading nutrition guru, and Shazzie, the UK's most progressive health educator, have teamed up to bring you Naked Chocolate!

Yes, raw, organic chocolate is good for you. In fact, David Wolfe and Shazzie demonstrate it is the best food ever. In these pages, you will discover the astonishing truth about the world's greatest food. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Naked Chocolate
I am loving cacoa, what is there not to like.So far I am making smoothies with cacoa and loving the flavor, and the fact, "that it is this good, and actually good for me!", "so are my kids!"I am looking forward to trying more recipes.
Sharri

Highly skeptical of the reliability of the author, not impressed with the recipes.
Upon cracking the cover of 'Naked Chocolate', one first encounters the disclaimer issued by the David-Shazzie duo. Not too surprising given the subject matter (natural health, etc.). Shocking however, is the 'Note on References' that follows three paragraphs later. The reserach that went into the book is referred to as 'chaos magic'. Personally, I prefer documented facts. The authors go on to state that some references to studies and facts were lost. Lost? Here I quickly become skeptical of the validity of ANY material that is going to be presented. Furthermore, the authors statement recommends that if the reader finds any information that is unsubstantiated, they should take it upon themselves to 'do the book and Internet research to corroborate the information' Hmmmmm....isn't that why I purchased the book? To read SUBSTANTIATED facts about cacao presented by an educator on the subject, rather than the unverified blatherings of a self-proclaimed nutrition guru? In a nutshell, I believe that I'm being told that the author may not be able to actually back up his 'facts' and that I should just 'google-it'. No thanks! One could save their hard-earned $24.95 and just googled 'raw cacao facts, cacao mythology, cacao processing, etc'.

Given the above information, I've taken any information contained within the pages of 'Naked Chocolate' with a grain of salt (pardon the pun). That aside, the book itself is very well laid out and pictures were quite beautiful. As far as value, I have to disregard it as and educational source and focus solely on its value as a recipe book. Unfortunately, it seems at best, a glorified, over-blown 'un-cookbook'. I haven't actually tried any of the recipes. From my experience with raw foods preparation/recipe books, they seem insanely rich by comparison. Most recipes contain huge amounts of oils and excessive use of sweeteners. Plus, the nauseatingly 'cute' endorsements of the recipes contained within the instructions slaughter my food prep inspiration before it even had a chance to blossom.

My consolation? This book was gifted to me rather than an actual purchase on my part.

The Magical Chocolate Tour
This is a fun book with more historical information on chocolate than I could have expected. With a world distracted by dissent and animosity, chocolate may be the one thing that all humans, despite religion, race or sex can agree upon as being something we all absolutely love. Perhaps we can concede to agree upon that as a start to a planetary union of peace.

Reading about chocolate is difficult because the reader instantly wants some chocolate to enjoy during the passage through Wolfe's and Shazzie's progression to creating the Religion of Chocolate. Wolfe is always effective in conveying his excitement about his learnings and his personal dive into the experiential research of his current raw focus.

The dialogue was informative from an historical point of view. It gives the reader cause to pause and consider that more than one ancient civilization integrated raw food, in this case cacao, as the monetary unit and used gold or silver for decoration. Beans more valuable than gold?

The recipes are a delight as exploring the alchemical beauty of chocolate is nothing short of pure pleasure.

This is a book to be enjoyed by all, fun, delicious and timeless in topic.

The reader will learn the ancestry of cacao, the nutritional aspects of chocolate, the pleasurable benefits of eating raw chocolate and some tasty recipes to satisfy the palate. There's an enjoyable energy to these recipes that is not always found in other books offering dietary suggestions.

Raw Food Worship, But Health =/= Stimulation
I have read this book, along with Chris Kilham's entries on chocolate (theobroma cacao), and my own ethnobotanical / biochemical studies through many avenues of interest. I always enjoy learning more about the history and culture of this interesting tree. Unfortunately, my scientific disposition compels me look at the health sensationalism surrounding chocolate rather skeptically. Of course, these kinds of reviews are rarely popular (and even less so in the USA), but I feel that I do people looking for health a great disservice by not dispensing my knowledge of chocolate, a perspective which merely takes this work into account.

Theobromine - Firstly, chocolate has stimulants (most people erroneously think is has substantial caffeine, which it does not) - chocolate has an analogous alkaloid, called "theobromine" occurring predominantly. It is a strong stimulant alkaloid with an effect on the nervous system, particularly the heart. The cardiotoxicity of this alkaloid has not been established, and I will firstly press for caution here. The effect of this alkaloid is enhanced by the substantial magnesium content of the chocolate.

Tannins - Raw chocolate is rich in tannins, responsible for the bitterness of the chocolate. Tannin in high concentration is an anti-nutrient, binding up and preventing the absorption of minerals in the digestive system. It also adversely affects the kidneys. Raw chocolate has a very high tannin content, more so than some tannin-rich fruits (such as the skins of jaboticaba), which are recommended to only be eaten in small quantity. Does this rule of potential tannin toxicity not apply to chocolate? I wouldn't think so.

Surplus - Lastly, and partly from having grown cacao trees myself, is the observation that chocolate can be a surplus crop in many areas of the world. Theobroma Cacao bears continuously and prolifically from trees that are surprisingly easy to grow in appropriate climates. Commercially, raw cacao beans are available at bulk wholesale relatively cheap. (Yes, even the organic ones.) Why do we see disproportionately high prices on raw chocolate products? To me, this means the public is paying high retail prices, based on this rather aggressive "health food" marketing we see- a situation which to me suggests a veil of pretense (though perhaps inadvertent) concerning the whole ordeal. Somebody is making a very high profit off this particular commodity. Hint: it's not the Cacao farmers / growers. I think a good skeptical pause is warranted.

What is the point of this review? I have nothing against the authors, whose work I do enjoy. In fact I do eat a raw diet myself, being a tropical fruit grower and researcher. I think the lesson to learn here is we should respect certain foods for what they are, and not worship them for the energy and enthusiasm they impart. This is a key marketing strategy used pervasively nowadays- the idea that whole foods which make you 'feel good' are healthy and 'good for you.' Chocolate fits that bill indeed. Obtaining good health is, in actuality, a subtle endeavor, and "feeling good" is not a reliable or informative gauge for determining a food's overall virtues, or necessarily the state of one's health.

How many foods / substances out there make us feel good, only to burn us out faster? Thus, I stress caution, and encourage all people to research their health interests as much as possible. Health is a dynamic goal, and can only be achieved through dynamic understanding. Hopefully, you see my point.

More than I ever wanted to know...
Naked Chocolate contains more information about cacao and the caco bean than anyone would ever want to know. If you're interested in the vast history of this bean, then this book is for you. Otherwise, read something more interesting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful!
I ordered this book as a gift. It arrived at their door quickly and was in good condition. I'm very happy with this order.

The Nothing Chocolate Cookbook
I am not familiar with the "Everything Series", but after this miserable cookbook, I doubt that I ever will.

I disagree with virtually everything in the first two chapters; they cover basics about types of chocolate, tools, and skills.They are incomplete, misleading, or downright wrong. There is no such thing as "molding chocolate" nor "enrobing chocolate".I have dealt commercially with a few chocolate companies in my time, but have never heard of the word "chocolateries".The advice on chocolate co-ops, auctions, chocolate tasting parties, and starting your own chocolate business is laughable.The author also repeats the amateur's misconception that couverture is a higher quality, tastier chocolate; in fact, unless you are using it in molds or for dipping, couverture is unnecessary and probably a waste of money.In fact, it has a lower viscosity, harder texture, and higher price due to the higher cocoa butter content. There is also no advice on how to shop for the different chocolates for novices who are going to the grocery store to buy them. I would also like to know exactly what brand(s) of chocolate the author used during recipe development.The instructions for tempering couverture lack one important step: a test to tell when the chocolate is properly tempered, and additional instructions for what to do when it is not correctly tempered or has cooled down and needs retempering.

The truffle recipes are actually one basic recipe with many dozens of slight variations, changing the type of chocolate or liqueur/flavoring.The instructions for truffles are wrong: ganache should never be cooled in the refrigerator in an airtight container.Truffles that are going to be enrobed or dipped should never be refrigerated at any time for any reason; best advice is to dip them as soon as they are shaped. The author uses ingredients such as "butterscotch liqueur"; a professional knows what this is, but a specific brand name would be a great help to a novice trying to find it at the neighborhood liquor store. The fudge recipes are based on something that used to be known as "Serviceman's Fudge", more renown for its ability to survive overseas shipment than for its flavor. The reader gets the impression that the author was trying too hard to come up with a wide panoply of chocolate recipes; fewer, but higher quality recipes would have been preferable.

The author also commits the ultimate cookbook sin: not specifying how the flour is measured, nor listing a weight for the flour but only a cup measurement.However, on page 40 (in the equipment section), the author states that the flour should be sifted before measurement: 1) this method will cause baking recipes to fail in most cookbooks (most use either the scoop-and-sweep or spoon-and-sweep; I know of no baking book, professional or consumer, that specifies sifting before measurement), and 2) the correct method, used in all professional kitchens I have ever worked in, is to measure by weight.In this case, we do not know if the author sifts directly into a measuring cup, or sifts onto a piece of paper and then pours it into a measuring cup (the difference can easily be 10%), because equivalent weight measures are not given.

I am also tired of authors who change the original recipe, yet insist on retaining the title "Nestle Toll House Cookies".It also suffers from side-bar-mania: many pages have tips and hints about baking, but these are randomly scattered throughout the text and not indexed, so that you will never find them, even if you look for them.Many recipes do not have a clear-cut indication as to when baked things are done. Some recipes are more difficult or take several hours; some sort of warning about this would be helpful.Some, such as croissant or brioche, are missing instructions at crucial steps.

The cakes, cookies, libations, and morning treats were OK, but the frosting, bars, and muffins were hideous. The pie section is forgettable and fraught with untested recipes.The author should have used the modified creaming method more often in the cake/torte recipes.The custards and plated desserts were ordinary.Neophytes will probably not be able to successfully do many of the projects in the decorations chapter.

The index is one of the worst I have ever seen in any book.Not only is it very short and incomplete, any entry with a French accent mark (ague, grave, circumflex) appears as a random symbol, meaning that the book editor was asleep at the switch.

There are simply too many problems with this baking book for me to recommend it.In general, I was appalled by the low quality of the information and recipes.On the other hand, I found the recipes to be akin to the ones you will find in Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, etc.: easy to do, but mostly uninteresting.I also found some of the truffle flavor combinations to be pretty good.It has been said that there is no such thing as a totally worthless chocolate cookbook; in this case, I will make an exception.I suggest that you leave this book in the discount bin at the bookstore where you found it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

2 professional chefs agree . .
I have a daughter and a son, who are both professioal chefs.They both requested this book for their birthdays this year.BOTH said they can look up a recipe on the internet, but are never sure it's really going to be exactly what they need.With this book and Jacques Torres' chocolatier reputation, they both said they felt safe using his recipes the first time out.

Wonderful book by a first class author and chef
Jacques has done it again. Tasteful recipes and wonderful information shared about each chocolate treat. He has been labeled a master for many years, but now I would say he has reached the levels of ICON.

Thank you, Chef, for sharing your life and recipes with us. Now the rest of the world can enjoy what has made so many around the world happy for so many years. Sure, the artistic appeal may not be the same, but a little taste is better than none at all.

yummy
I LOVE this book Easy to use and soo good
I have to pay $12. for a mix by him at the store which is good to have on hand BUT this works all the time and twice and the book is paid for!Love it

Exquisite recipes, pictures, and text
This book is a brilliant example of what a specialty cookbook should be.The text is written in a conversational tone, and yet delivers information that could take one years to learn in practice.

The recipes I've tried have been fantastic, the ones I haven't...well, it's only because there's only so much chocolate one can eat and still fit through the door. ;)

I borrowed this from the library, and within a day or two of reviewing and testing a couple of recipes, I knew that I would have to make space on my cookbook shelves to have this one as a permanent star in the dessert section.

A winning collection filled with innovations
From Paoched Pears with Chocolate Fondue to Fours Poches cookies, A YEAR IN CHOCOLATE packs in holiday chocolate classics for the entire year, adapting all the author's chef dishes for home cooks and offering over 150 photos of finished dishes. Home pastry chefs with a passion for chocolate will find this a winning collection filled with innovations not to be found in competing chocolate cookbooks.
... Read more

Product Description
Ages 8 to 14 years.Children will love learning how the ancient Aztecs created a special drink from the bitter beans of the cacao tree and how those beans later became the delectable treat known as chocolate. Mouth watering pictures illustrate this examination of one of the world's favourite commodities. Other topics include What is a commodity?; how and where cacao beans grow; the history of cacao cultivation and use; Hernan Cortez and the introduction of chocolate to Europe; Hershey, Cadbury, Lindt and other chocolatiers; Who made the first chocolate bar and chocolate-chip cookie?; the different ways to use cacao beans today, from food and drink to soap, suntan lotion, and moisturisers; slavery and chocolate. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Product Description

Chocolates and Confections at Home offers detailed expertise for anyone who wants to make truly amazing homemade confections and candies. The Culinary Institute of America and baking and pastry arts professor Peter Greweling provide recipes and step-by-step techniques that make even the most ambitious treats simple for any home cook.

In addition, Chocolates and Confections at Home includes ingredient and equipment information, packaging and storage practices, and troubleshooting tips for common preparation issues.

• Richly illustrated with more than 150 full-color photos that illustrate key techniques as well as finished confections
• Covers chocolates, truffles, toffees and taffies, fudge and pralines, marshmallows, jellies, nuts, and much more
• Author Peter Greweling is a professor of baking and pastry arts at the CIA, as well as a Certified Master Baker and Certified Hospitality Educator

Chocolates and Confections at Home is the ideal resource for anyone who wants to graduate from chocolate chip cookies to create impressively decadent delights.

Recipe Excerpts from Chocolates and Confections at Home

Marshmallows

Caramel Apples

Sesame-Ginger Truffles

Customer Reviews (9)

Chocolate for the nonprofessional
This book simplifies making chocolates and confections for the nonprofessional home candy maker who does not know or much care to know about the chemical reaction on a molecular level of chocolate or sugar while trying to make something that looks and tastes good.It is a beautiful book.

Best book on chocolate making
Of ALL the chocolate books I have; this is the best I how have.
Very easy to follow, great varity in types to make. If you are a chocolate lover, maker, this is one you MUST have. How can you go wrong with the CIA.

Simple and perfect
Still a great teacher. All the information you need to prepare wonderful chocolates and confections at home or to sell in your shop.
Easy to read and understand.
Now waiting for the next one.

The Best all in One book
I just got this book the other day.And was totally amazed at how simple it was to follow, how the recipes were layed out, the pictures and step by step... It was like having the instructor right there with you... I started off doing a caramel thing that I was enrobing in chocolate... I had a little bit of trouble finding some info, BUT it was all there,I just happened to over look what I was looking for the first time through... So Bad Me!. This book is well worth more than what they are asking.I am very proud to have it.And I'm going to do a book report on it for my cooking blog.I think this is one of those books that every one should have in there collection.... I'm thinking about giving this book to several grandkids that are into cooking and desserts.It's a book that anyone can learn from... Very well done...

An absolute must-have!
I have a lot of cookbooks, many of which are candy and dessert books. I've been freelance (just do it!!) cooking for most of my life, including having made pull-taffy with my mom as a child.Over the years, I have had good and bad luck with various attempts at candymaking.Some of my divinity comes out perfect, some is dry.Pralines that are creamy, some that are grainy.Fudge that is perfectly made and some that is hard and short.What gives?This book does. It has a full explanation of all techniques to be used at the beginning of each chapter, before you even get to the recipes.This is great because it helps you resist the temptation to just jump into trying something; after all, it must be important for you to know a technique if they tell you before they give you the recipe in which you will use that technique.It actually repeats everything for you because before the recipes, it goes through the entire process without measurements so that you can't make it at that point! I found that I actually read the entire book, cover to cover, before even attempting anything. My chocolate tempered perfectly, which was the first thing I did.Next will be either cherry cordials or maybe more divinity.
I feel much more confident in my ability to create perfect confections.Perfect every time.There are also a lot of recipes for confections I'd never considered, as well as ones I'd never heard of.All because I don't just know what I want to do, but how to do it, and why it works.Lots of history, interesting asides, and very clear instructions.All in all, a definite must-have. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Readable book to help you make high quality truffles
This 80 page book has one focus: making chocolate truffles. To help the reader find success in making what we know as a specialty item requiring time and skill, the author packs a lot of detail and information into the text. The author has some finesse in taking detailed information and breaking it down into bite-sized, easily digestible pieces. The first fifteen pages are devoted to the exploration of ingredients, equipment, and the knowledge needed to work with chocolate. Essential information and vocabulary are covered, including the differences between chocolates, what couverture is, how to store chocolate, how to make praline, tempering chocolate, and dipping methods. The truffle recipes themselves cover the entire range between the classic chocolate truffle to the exotically flavored. Additionally, the author adds recipes in which one can use any leftover chocolate including molded chocolate and bark.

I found this book to be very readable, and reasonable in its expectations. While the author gives her preference for real vanilla bean, she also gives the conversion for those who prefer, or need to use vanilla extract. The writing style is clean and easy to understand. To help those who want to use excellent ingredients, the author includes a list of sources for ingredients at the back of the book. My only complaint about this book is that nearly every recipe calls for couverture, the European specialty coating chocolate, and does not give any alternatives, but also does not spell out which sources carry this essential item. This leaves the reader to hunt down the best source for couverture themselves, although a web search bring up immediate options for doing so.
Overall I can recommend this book for anyone interested in making high quality chocolate truffles at home.

My truffles are "all the rave"
The author goes into a lot of detail on how and why to use certain ingredients, and what conditions call for certain measures to be taken during the process.For the experienced cook, with little experience making candy, I found the little treasure of a book very helpful - much more so than many other recipes from books dedicated to candy-making. I tried several truffle recipes prior to those in Ms. Welch's book and her's made the absolute best truffles I've ever tasted!!I made 125 of them for my wedding, and was told afterward that I should go into the chocolate business!No kidding! ... Read more

Product Description

Marcel Desaulniers, the prize-winning, bestselling author of such classics as Death by Chocolate, The Burger Meisters, and Desserts To Die For, continues down the decadent road he has paved with sweets, turning his attention to one of America's favorite temptations: cookies.

With his customary wit and clarity of style, Desaulniers has taken cookies to new heights in this stunning collection of seventy-five easy-to-follow recipes, each of which is captured in full-color splendor. Pared-down preparations, concise instructions, and satisfying results make the chocolate indulgences offered in this book the perfect antidote for anyone who has ever considered baking "work."

No one will be able to withstand the temptation of these chocolate cookie combinations, from the simple and delightful Chocolate Peanut Butter Bengal Cookies or Chocolate Raspberry "Cookiecupcakes," to the intricate and impressive Golden Spider Webs with Wicked Ganache and Raspberry Rapture and Chocolate Balloon Cups with Oven-Roasted Pears. Desaulniers also lets us in on some old family recipes; Hessie Rae's Chocolate Pecan Tart Cookies and Mrs. D's Chocolate Chip Cookies make you wonder what other undivulged secrets he's been saving.

As Desaulniers writes in his introduction, "Rather than showcasing towering confections like those in Death by Chocolate and Desserts To Die For, this is a collection of chocolate cookies, bars, brownies, nougat, brittle, praline, ice-cream sandwiches, candies, and biscuits that you can hold in your hand and pop in your mouth. O.K., so I went overboard and pulled out the plate in the chapter 'More Than a Mouthful.' But as Mae West said, 'Too much of a good thing is wonderful.'"Amazon.com Review
There ought to be a law against cookies as sinfully delicious as the ones Marcel Desaulniers presents in his Death by Chocolate Cookies. Chocolate Peanut Butter Love Bars, Chocolate Pecan Tart Cookies, White Chocolate Peppermint Patties, Chocolate Mango Ambush--the names alone are life-threatening, while the full-page color photographs are almost guaranteed to send serious chocoholics into cardiac arrest. Desaulniers devilishly tempts the reader with 75 easy-to-follow recipes that promise untold delight in every bite, from the simplest Chocolate Raspberry Cookiecupcake to the fascinatingly intricate Golden Spider Webs with Wicken Ganache. Dip into Death by Chocolate Cookies at your own risk: this much chocolate is almost certainly lethal! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Choc-o-licious
Great chocolate recipes!I've tried several and so far my favorites were the black gold cookies and the outrageously successful excessively somethingorother peanut butter brownies!

Five tries and I am out
I am an experienced home baker with a well-equipped kitchen.I have tried five different recipes from this book--and they are just not that good. Road trip cookies--I have had better, brown sugar chocolate chip bars--not as good as you would think; Mrs. D's chocolate chip cookies--meh, maple walnut chocolate praline--hope you have good dental insurance.The dogwood bark was ok--but it is just melted chocolate over nuts.

As other reviewers have commented, there are a lot of errors.I have had to troubleshoot every recipe.Perhaps the recipes were not tested?

I am putting this cookbook in my give away pile so that I am not tempted by the lovely photos to attempt any more of these recipes.

Good Cookies
I am not a big fan of this author, but this book is a happy exception. His other books are OK resources for professionals and amateur pastry chefs, but worthless for the average, casual home cook.This is the only one of Mr. Saulniers' books that I feel safe in recommending to a home cook. It is, in short, a collection of very good chocolate cookie recipes, both in flavor and in written recipe quality.

In most cookbooks, cookie recipes are an afterthought with standard recipes casually tossed off in a few sentences. This book is entirely different: each cookie recipe has complete, detailed instructions for each step, including a color photo of the end result.Even someone who has not baked many cookies should have no problems successfully making these cookies. For those who can do the cookie recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag, this book is the next step. I tried some seemingly incorrect recipes (recipes with no eggs, doughs that seemed to have the wrong balance, etc.), but they all came out as advertised, and I had no trouble with any of them, though I noted that some instructions were inadequate, e.g. cooking something in a saucepan for a certain number of minutes with no indication as to what end result you are looking for.It is also the only cookbook I know of that lists the complete mise en place including all equipment, materials, and ingredients, something I wish more cookbooks would do.

Only in the last chapter ("More Than a Mouthful") is the author up to his old tricks: professional techniques inadequately explained; here, home cooks should ignore it, but B&P people should pay close attention. I also note that some photos are cheats, in other words if you prepare the recipe exactly as written, yours will not exactly look like the picture.

Beauty is skin deep
Such beautiful pictures, and they are great inspiration. Makes you want to spend the day in the kitchen.There it ends. I tried the white chocolate-candy cane recipe twice.It just doesn't work.We (I have a professional kitchen) added flour to make a manageable batter, but after baking could not get them off the baking sheet.More adjustments, and finally succeeded in making a cookie that no one liked.We also tried the two layer desert with brownie bottom.Expensive mess.Thebeautiful photographs are worthy of framing or put the whole book on your coffee table.

Maybe I got the wrong edition...
I have read the previous reviews and I am puzzled. I do not like this book at all. I have never written a review before but this book drove me to it. I am an experienced baker and tried two recipes following the instructions carefully.Both failed miserably and I am not willing to waste the butter, or more importantly, the chocolate, to try another.
My first attempt was the Paisely Brownies.The recipe called for 12 ounces of butter (yes, ounces, not tablespoons).While nervous about 3/4 of a pound of butter going into essentially a double batch of brownie batter, I forged ahead.What I got was incredible greasy brownies with a gummy raspberry topping.I figured the butter amount must have been a typo so I tried again with 12 TABLESPOONS of butter and while the brownies were less greasy, they were still mushy in the middle with a gummy raspberry topping.Next I tried the Topsy Turvys (didn't even get around to making the sorbet or the pineapple topping).Each attempt to mold the baked cookie into bowl shapes yielded greasy messes on my counter.Perhaps I got the two dogs out of the whole bunch but as I have said before, I'm not willing to waste any more butter, chocolate, parchment paper, etc. on any of his recipes. ... Read more

Product Description
Ten years after its original publication, Death by Chocolate remains the ultimate chocolate dessert cookbook. It won the James Beard Award, inspired a television show, and has sold over 100,000 copies. All of the original mouth-watering recipes remain, now supplemented by many new recipes carefully crafted by master-chef Marcel Desaulniers. All preparations and ingredients are included with full-color photographs, allowing mere mortals to create chocolate masterpieces such as the eponymous Death by Chocolate, Chocolate Temptation, and Chocolate Dementia.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Death by Chocolate: The Last Word on a Consuming Passion
Fifth time I've purchased this cookbook. If I lend it to someone, they don't seem to be able to return it, so I purchase it again. This last purchase is actually a gift for someone, so I don't have to lend my copy out anymore. If you love chocolate this is a MUST HAVE cookbook. Never had a single recipe fail. It has won a James Beard Award. Need I say more?

good buy
Interesting read.Always liked Marcel.Some of these may be out of my range.Good seller.

Very Pleased !!!
I had Marcel Desaulniers updated Death by Chocolate book and was left feeling that something was missing. There was... Variety, ease. I am no master baker. Just a novice. I also collect books for dinner parties, but that book left me a little shaken. I felt it was for the way advanced, those who like to spend all day in the kitchen whipping up desserts. I do not. On the suggestion of one of the reviewers, I searched high and low for this book, and found it, here on amazon. I am not displeased at all. This book contaians very elegant desserts at what seems the fraction of the prep time from the other. And you can not ask for more variety from a chocolate master like Desaulniers. He give you drinks spiked with chocolate, and desserts for both white and dark chocolate. Scintallating.

Chocolate!!
For anyone who loves chocolate or related to someone who is, this book is a must.It's almost a coffee table book with those beautiful pictures.The recipes are both challenging and easy so it's a usable book also.I heartily recommend Death by Chocolate!!!

Divine chocolate desserts
This is an excellent book.I particularly like it as it has photos of every dessert so you can be inspired by the photos and at least you can see what the finished product looks like.The desserts are a little time consuming but you can probably tackle them over a couple of days.I have made a few of the desserts and I can only rave about them. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrated French pastry chef and owner of one of New York City’s favorite bakeries presents an impressive and comprehensive dessert cookbook with recipes for everything chocolate, from easy cookies to showstopping cakes.

On any given weekend at the esteemed New York City institution Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, locals and tourists swoon over sweet delicacies like creamy chocolate truffles, fruit tarts, and delicate, decadent cookies, while brides take note of the stylish wedding cakes in the window.

For the first time, its owner, famed pastry chef François Payard, devotes his creative powers solely to chocolate, sharing 100 recipes for home cooks of every level in Chocolate Epiphany. From easy to challenging, white to bittersweet, a stunning and sumptuous dessert awaits on every page. Thanks to the clear and thorough recipes, treats such as Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet, Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Milk Chocolate Truffles à l’Ancienne are not only delicious but also accessible. And for the ambitious, Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake, Cranberry-Chestnut Tart, or Milk Chocolate and Candied Kumquat Napoleans could be the perfect end to an extravagant dinner party.

Inside you’ll find chapters devoted to:

•Breads and Brunch Dishes
•Cookies and Petits Fours
•Candies and Chocolates
•Custards, Mousses, and Meringues
•Plated Desserts
•Tarts
•Cakes

With a rich, full-color design and stunning photography throughout, Chocolate Epiphany is the perfect gift for chocoholics and everyone looking to enlarge his or her dessert repertoire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Lovely pictures, difficult recipes
I had great hopes for this book. It's got great reviews on the cover from renowned pastry chefs and the recipes sound wonderful. I had serious problems with all the recipes I tried. When I talked to a friend is a trained pastry chef, she said the book is written by a pastry chef at a level that is very understandable if you've been to culinary arts school. Not so much if you're a home baker. If you just bake for fun, save yourself frustration and get a different chocolate baking book.

Great cookbook and fast delivery
I saw French pastry chef Francois Payard on ABC News in 2008, and I wanted to bake his Charlie's afternoon cake he demonstrated on the show.However there was something different from the recipe given on ABC website and what he actually prepared in his presentation.I had to have this cookbook to make sure I had the recipe correct.

Well this book is full of wonderful recipe's including two versions of the Charlie's afternoon chocolate cake recipes (one is a Charlie's Chocate Pudding Cake which was the one Chef Payard baked on ABC) which explains the difference.I made a great investment in this cookbook.

The seller was also awesome.There was some confustion at my lcoal post office, and the seller was great and worked with me to make sure I received my product.

Bon Apetit

Astonishing variety of chocolate desserts
Since the highly celebrated book Simply Sensational Desserts had gone out of print, I thought I had missed my chance to try the recipes of one of New York's most famous pastry chefs. I was a little disappointed to hear that Payard's new book would focus on chocolate, since I already had Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme and thought I would be getting more or less the same kinds of recipes. However, even though Chocolate Desserts is the closest comparison you may draw with this book in terms of the scope in which it explores the various forms of chocolate in pastry (cakes, tarts, custards, mousses, cookies), Payard's book is much wider in scope and there is greater variety in the types of recipes you'll find. For instance, Payard includes a few recipes for bread. His book has a slight bias towards cakes, but this book isn't about different ways to dress up one basic cake. Payard includes recipes for cheesecake, pudding cake, crepe cake, flourless cake, angel food cake; classics like Gâteau Basque, Saint-Honoré, Paris-Brest, and Savarin; unusual creations such as creme catalane cake and turron cake; and majestic creations such as an American Opera cake and Black Forest. At the very start of the custards chapter you'll already find a recipe for panna cotta, pots de creme, crême brulée, mousse, and parfait. Those looking for an adventure in working with chocolate will not find a dull moment in this book.

The book is geared towards home bakers of varying proficiencies. However, you won't find recipes for brownies or triple chocolate cookies, or even muffins in here. The recipes in this book are heavily French in character, which is hardly a fault but it's still difficult to become enthusiastic about "muscadines" or "chardons" with no photographs to accompany some of them. Fortunately, there are only a few recipes that don't have photographs.

The book takes a few adventurous steps in flavor (pairing chocolate with sweet potatoes, yuzu, star anise), but mostly the book stays within tried-and-tested combinations. The adventurous home baker with a love for all things chocolate will thoroughly enjoy its many transformations in this book. The recipes range from very easy (cookies, afternoon cake, pudding cake) to highly advanced (such as the Fontainebleau: layered chocolate mousse, raspberries, and sacher cake glazed and wrapped in joconde). Though it's not a very large book, it's packed with quality recipes from a great pastry chef for a reasonably low price.

Wonderful gift to give and own!
The recipes are easy and fun. The number of praises will be overwhelming when you bring these treats to a party. I would not bring treats like these to an office party. Share these pleasures with family and very close friends, they are deserving.

Over-the-Top Baking!
This book is out of this world and I highly reccommend to any one that loves baking and chocolate ... Read more

Product Description
All resistance is futile.

Nestle(tm) first invented chocolate morsels (the first chocolate chip) in 1939, after discovering the first chocolate chip cookie recipe which was created at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts by Ruth Wakefield. With a deal for the rights to the recipe The Famous Toll House Cookie was born.

You will be amazed by all of the delicious opportunities the chocolate chip delivers. Chocolate chips are specially formulated to retain their taste in any recipe and give off bursts of intense flavor during the cooking process.

125 Best Chocolate Chip Recipes features superb, imaginative and fail-safe recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, breads, puddings, bars and squares, muffins, hot and cold beverages and extraordinary sauces. For hot summer days, imagine a Blended Mocha Frappe or Chocolate Malted Moothie. For cold winter nights, there is a Hot Chocolate Chai Latte. Start the day right with Chocolate Chip Oat Breakfast Biscuits, Chocolate Chip Hotcakes or Chocolate Orange French Toast for a weekend brunch. Children will adore the Chocolate Mousse Filled Cupcakes, Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars. Adults will swoon over the Chocolate Espresso Lava Cake that was featured on the Today Show. If you find yourself with a bumper crop of zucchini, be sure to make Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

Cookie recipes include The Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookie, Double Chocolate Mint Chunkers and Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons. These recipes are so good that the cookies will never make it to a cookie jar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Genius!
Clearly, this is a well-written book:The recipes are easy to follow, the book is well laid-out with just 1 recipe to a page, the recipe titles are descriptive, and I can't find a bad recipe!In fact, I've written to the author for her recommendations on a 12-step chocolatechipaholic program in my neighborhood!

Some of my family & friends' favorites are Port Tort, the Chocolate Chip Chai Cake, the Cowgirl Cookies, Jay's Addiction, and her Coconut Chip Sorbet.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!
Julie Hasson's chocolate chip recipes are truly wonderful.Very easy-to-follow directions guide you to gloriously tasty results!I have not been disappointed in any of the recipes I've tried. On the contrary, once I've tried one, it becomes a "regular."Thanks, Julie! ... Read more

Product Description

In a drab village nestled between the mountains and the sea, an old chocolate maker lives alone with his cat, making uninspired chocolates to display in his dusty shop.

Customer Reviews (6)

A great story and B-E-A-U-iful pictures.
I bought this book for my daughter, she is too young to keep up with the story line but she loves looking at the pictures. Anne Mortimer is a great artist. This is a great childrens book.

Rich, vibrant pictures and story
I bought this for my daughter who loves both chocolate and cats. :) This book far exceeded my expectations.The illustrations are gorgeous - rich colors, incredible detail.The story is just as vibrant - the author's choice of words and rich detail is mesmerizing.

It is one of my daughter's favorites and she selected it for me to read to her first grade class one Friday afternoon.I read about 4 books before this one, and during those 4 was constantly saying "stop talking", "sit down", "where are you going???" - etc, as anyone who knows first graders on a Friday afternoon will understand.We had time for one more book and I started this one - I swear within pages they were all in a trance. They sat sill and silent as we went through page after page, craning their necks to see the illustrations. When reading time was done, several of them came up to hold the book and look through it. I highly recommend this book!

PuRrFECT4 ValentinesDAY!
This book is Cute & Interesting enough to read to or with your kids for ValentinesDay!We love animals & chocolate (we dont know which we like better) For the price this is a very nice Treat to Share with your little SWEETHEARTS!!

The Chocolate Cat
This book will appeal to cat lovers of all ages.It is the tale of a cat who helps his owner, the candy maker, discover the joy of his craft again.The illustrations are magical!

Delightful book with beautiful illustrations!
This book -- intended as a Christmas gift -- lived up to all my expectations.Anne Mortimer is one of my favorite illustrators and she didn't let me down. Sue Stainton is new to me -- and a new "favorite"! The book arrived well packaged and speedily.A+ all around! ... Read more

Product Description