Making Artisan Chocolates Paperback – Illustrated, January 1, 2007

Andrew Shotts is as good of an author as he is a pastry chef (he was named Pastry Arts and Design top10 some year or other). This is a great book, aimed at intermediate or higher pastry chefs. This book does require some specialized equipment to do the fancier techniques (dipping fork, molds, transfer sheets). But even without any specialized equipment, you can make any of the chocolate candies in the book.Contents include the following topics: chocolate basics and flavor pairings, including pairings with traditional flavors and non-traditional spices. About ~35 chocolate recipes. Recipes include standard classics like classic dark, classic milk, hazelnut praline. Recipes also include classic flavors (but maybe not classic pairings) like peanut butter+jam, and banana caramel. Finally there are non-traditional spice pairings like habanero+peanut butter, raspberry-wasabi, and mango-mint-coriander.Techniques are where I think the book really shines. The book has excellent pictures and descriptions of making truffles, making molded chocolates, and making hand-dipped chocolates. Shotts shows the technique of airbrushing as well as how to use transfer sheets and luster or razzle dust. He does a good job of scaling down the equipment for the non professional. For instance when showing hand-dipped chocolates, he uses a baking pan + saran wrap + knife instead of sheet + frame + cutting guitar. After reading this book, you can go into any chocolate shop and say "I know how they did that technique". Surprisingly, Shotts never mentions tempering machines.Finally, there is a book that shows all the techniques that professionals use. I don't have to pull out my issue of "Pastry Arts and Design" from 3 years ago or wait for a particular Food network espisode to come on. I have this book now. I love the range of recipes - not too classic, but not too experimental either. For those interested, there is a nice table of taste pairings for nontraditional spice flavors. The last wonderful thing is the price: usually you have to pay professional prices ($100-$250) for books that show professional techniques and recipes. Not so here.Compared to others: "Fine Chocolates" by Wybauw is a great book with great tips on tempering how to correct molding mistakes. It's a lot more $$ (~$65 on Amazon, used to have to buy it elsewhere for $100) and is aimed at the more advanced chocolatier. This book is better than either of the Ecole Lenotre books.

I read this book on a business trip, and I'm excited to try my hand at Truffles when I return.It seems once you've got tempering mastered, the difficulty is mostly done. Thankfully I received a Croquade tempering machine and the chocolates turn out beautifully. Now it's on to experiment with combinations of flavors.Shotts makes the "secret" world of chocolate making not so intimidating. The book is both aspirational and inspirational to step up your skills in the kitchen. It's written in language that is easy to follow, and the explanations of "why" are clear.You don't need to dedicate hours and hours, it's a quick read with many helpful recipes. He covers the basics, and gives you the tools to succeed in making your own truffles, pralines, dipped chocolate confections.I found the bit about the chemistry and the physics of tempering quite insightful. Using precise temperature control to change the crystalline structure of chocolate, makes you look at a smooth piece of chocolate quite differently.5 stars, great content, terrific read.

I think that some books about making chocolate can be very intimating and complicated. Although this book goes over pretty much all the same things those books do, it makes it in such a way that the home chocolateir can easily understand and the recipes range from that basic dark chocolate ganache to peanut butter and jelly to strawberry balsamic. At first I wasn't impressed but I made several of the chocolates, and they were so good. The book and recipes aren't dumb down and are good. Tempering chocolate is a tricky thing, but its a good book to have in a novice's collection.

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.

This book is a phenomenal resource and instructional guide for making artisan chocolates - just as the title indicates. This book provides reference charts for correct temperatures for each stage of working with different BRANDS of chocolates (because Callebaut and Guittard temper at different temperatures). The recipes supplied are outstanding and come together beautifully. Photos are extremely useful - this book will likely not be far from my fingertips while I study at Ecole Chocolat to become a professional chocolatier.

If you're wanting to become familiar with making chocolate truffles, then this book is for you. Its got some easy techniques and great recipes. Before I bought this book I was a little worried on the complexity of the truffle recipes, but having got it, it has some simple and elegant truffles that everyone can make. The book does a great job in making you feel like you know a thing or two about working with chocolate. It's not expensive, its not difficult, and it is fun. Impress your family/friends with some of these delicious recipes.