Making Artisan Chocolates

by Andrew Garrison Shotts, Madeline Polss (Photographer), Nick Malgieri (Foreword by)

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.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I wish Schotts had explained was how his dipped squares look so $%^ing PERFECT.

Here are some wonderful things about this book, for the novice or moderately-experienced chocolatier:

1) He is darling. He just comes off as this calm, nice guy who really wants you to help you enjoy making chocolates. I would give my eyeteeth to take one of his classes. And maybe I will.

2) Gorgeous pictures! You could use this as a coffee table book. I would totally frame most of the photos in this book.

3) He tells you how to make your own acetate transfer designs with cocoa butter and coloring. THANK YOU!!!

4) He shows you how to mark and cut your ganache squares so that you can keep them neat and separated from the beginning. I was too dumb to figure this out on my own.

5) He tells you why and how the % of cream you use should be different if you are making rolled truffles vs molded chocolates vs dipped squares. No book or site has ever suggested this to me, but it seems obvious now.

6) He provides a page listing manufacturer-suggested melting, seeding and dipping temperatures for some of his favorite chocolate brands and types. Again, THANK YOU!

7) His nice charts showing good flavor combinations for chocolates, herbs, spices and other flavors.

8) Ground puffed rice truffle coating! For a spicy, say ginger, ganache, this sounds perfect - crisp and popping. Who knew. He is very encouraging about trying weird ideas.

9) He gently warns you that you WILL mess up tempering, maybe right away and maybe after initial successes. This would have reassured me a great deal last Fall. He also shares his own mistakes, like the ashtray-flavored lapsang tea-infused ganache he invented.

10) His obsession with creative and stunning presentation. Almost as much of the book is dedicated to this as to making the chocolates -- and his presentation is unsurpassed! I would love to tour his house and kitchen. He routinely shops for cool ways to display and give chocolates, with an emphasis on reusable gift packaging like vases or lanterns. He suggests laying chocolates on a bed of the ingredients used in them, and explains how to complement wine and beer flavors with chocolate flavors and how to set up a tasting with friends. There are pictures of chocolates displayed on an antique calling card holder and in an oversized martini glass. All this care, and he still reminds you to have fun with it, saying, "Remember, it's just chocolate!" He might be my hero.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book several years ago. Just saw it on a friends read list and remembered it. This book is absolutely amazing my only real complaint was how specific he was in the cocoa butter percentage of the chocolate. One recipe would call for 70% pure and the very next would call for 64% or 56%. I used Guittard and Valrhona couverture chocolate and they worked well. I made the a Gingerbread truffles for Christmas and they were amazing.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Shotts started out by working for the best of the best in the pastry and chocolate worlds. Now, he's beating them at their own game. From his sinfully good peanut butter patties to his creative seasonal ganaches, Andrew never hits a sour note. If you have even the tiniest sweet tooth, you're going to love what this guy makes. I know first-hand.
Bobby Flay

[Ragna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. I have tried a couple of the recipes, which were very well received. I look forward to trying the rest.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of lovely photos, and more to the point, some good information. I kind of disagree with a few of the things he says, particularly about truffles, but I really learned a lot about molded chocolates from this book. I wish I'd had it before I made all my molded chocolates this year, because I think I could have done a much better job if I'd had a little more information. But really what I need is a better thermometer. And a truffle fork. Yeah, that's surely it.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book. Anything you wanted to know about making chocolate is in this book. Many good techniques about different types of chocolates and has chocolate combinations that you probably have never tried before.