Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best available book on candy, November 29, 2005
I bought this book not long after its release, almost twenty years ago. As I was in a period of prolonged unemployment at the time, I thought learning "a little something" about candy would help pass the time. The authors hooked me and I haven't stopped making their delicious treats since!
The fondants in particular are precisely explained and the methodical instruction allows for understanding of the underlying candy structure. I have since used these recipes to branch out and make many new flavors of my own, and often make over 100 pounds of dipped fondants at Christmastime, as gifts.
It's true, as another reviewer has noted, the instructions on chocolate dipping and tempering are not as encompassing as they could be, and if you have trouble with the subject (as I did) I would recommend finding an instructor. No matter how many books I read about tempering, I simply did not get it until I had someone standing at my elbow showing me. I found a lady willing to teach me by putting up a inquiry on the church bulletin board.
The caramels and fudges are heavenly; the licorice caramels in particular are unusual and delicious. At least one of the fudge recipes is identical to a family treat we've been making for five generations now -- Golden Fudge. This candy is so good I've had people fight over it, literally.
A chapter on Divinity, Nougats, and Marshmallow offers such recipes as a gem for making your own marshmallow eggs, Cherry Nut Divinity, and a rolled nougat, caramel, and peanut bar that resembles a famous maker's.
Brittles and Hard Candies offers countless variations on brittle, recipes for taffies and lollipops, toffee, and the single best butter mints I've ever had. I've never had a single problem making them.
Additional chapters offered include Jellies and Fruits; Microwave and Easy Candies; Molded Candies and Compound Coating. I am not a jelly fan and haven't tried the recipes, but the microwave offerings I have made have all been easy, fast, and well worth the effort. There is also a resource listing of mail order sources.
This book does offer clear instructions on how to test the boiling point at your elevation and adjust cooking times accordingly, however they do push the water test method for determining doneness. I personally learned water testing before owning a candy thermometer and still prefer it. This will take some time to properly master, but having done so, you will be in a postition to know by the look, smell, and consistency of your candy when it is done, rather than relying on the thermometer to tell you.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yummy candy with a few flaws, December 22, 2004
I purchased this book because I had done only enough candymaking to know I wanted to do more. There were other books with recipes that made me say "gross", but I found myself tagging every page in this book because everything looked so good. So let me start by saying I do reccommend this book to anyone interested in learning to make treats.
I have since made many recipes from it, and would have probably given it 3 1/2 stars but you can't do half stars on Amazon, so here are my four star reasons:
I have tried about five of the fudge recipes, and if these ladies wrote a fudge book I would be the first to buy it. Simple and delicious, every fudge is a winner. I have also made some of the easier fruit and jam/jelly candies, which came out great but are not quite as impressive. The marshmellow recipes and truffle recipes are also fairly straightfoward and come out wonderfully, I suggest trying these after you have a few of the simpler ones under your belt. And if you want to make fondant, this is the book for you as nearly one third of the book is devoted to delicious, fairly simple fondants.
Now for the problems. I have given up on caramels in this book, as I have tried three different recipes a total of seven times and ended up with seven "caramel tiles". The problem here is that I am following the recipe and have NO IDEA what I am doing wrong. There are tips on how to recook but that is not my problem, I need a little troubleshooting section. Also, while the section on tempering chocolate is alright, you will probably need to consult another source because I don't think it is thorough enough for someone who has never tempered chocolate.
So in a nutshell, if you want to go pro, obviously this is not the book for you (maybe you'd be better off in culinary school), but for the average stay-at-home mom (or average anyone, for that matter!) go for it!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiration and great instructions!, October 19, 2000
When I was first learning to work with chocolate, I purchased this book. That was over three years ago and since then my family has enjoyed chocolate fudge, chocolate covered cherries, truffles, etc. This was the first candy making book I ever purchased and the pictures were the inspiration that got me into the kitchen. I highly recommend this book if you are just learning about candy making. It will teach you the basics of temperature which is essential to the quality of the candies you create. The only problem with this book: You will want to make every single treat! In the back of this book you will also find a list of suppliers. I now order the best chocolate in the world! I also discovered some of my favorite cooking catalogs.
~The Rebecca Review
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