Customer Reviews

Pure Chocolate: Divine Desserts and Sweets from the Creator of Fran's Chocolates

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having read all of Alice Medrich's books (chocolate goddess), I came to this book with lower expectations but this book delivers way beyond what I could hope for. Not only are the photos much nicer, the directions and commentary are totally nuetral, taking on a practical and sincere approach for the reader. The recipes are really good too. Highly recommend!

Yum! The first recipe I used from this book was the Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake... one bite and I was sold on Fran, her chocolates and any future book(s) she chooses to bless us with. The cheesecake was beyond divine, and Fran's helpful notes and glorious pictures make the recipies fun to follow. The recipies are within reach of the casual cook, yet will fulfill the dreams of the most ardent chocoholic. If you love chocolate you'll adore this book! (All I ask from Fran is that she keeps producing chocolate and books... thank you Fran!!!)

Wow, wow, and wow!!!! I don't even know where to start with this incredible encyclopedia of chocolate!!! But as I am rarely without words regarding chocolate, let me begin!!

Fran bigelow knows her stuff........there are no two ways about it. She did not become a powerhouse by accident. She has worked hard for all the success that has come her way, and she has passed her love for this venue of gastronomic pleasure on to you, if you choose to take it.

Without getting too chemistry-like in her teaching, she tells you all about chocolate and how it wants to be handled. You can try to do it on yor own, but face it, chocolate can be very tempermental, and if you don't know the subtle complexities of its makeup, you will loose time and money. She will guide you if you just take the time to learn from one of the Masters.

The book contents are:

Introduction
Everything you need to know about chocolate
Amazing cookies and brownies
Tortes, with and without flour (for celiacs & gluten-sensitive)
Elegant tarts
Celebration cakes and holiday specialties
Sumptuous cheesecakes, puddings, and custards
Chilled spectaculars
Silken dessert sauces
Five beverages and a snack
Truffles and other fine chocolates
Building blocks
Sources
Index

Just for the sake of an example of what anyone can do, I tried the cake on page 107 called "La Reverie". Holy cow!! You would of thought that I had studied at the Cordon Bleu; it was fabulous and soooo not hard to make. Plus you will make so many new friends that you never knew you had.

She's the best and that's because she is a great teacher and the recipes don't require a degree in chemistry, architecure, or design. Go ahead and try it..........

Fran's passion for chocolate definitely shows throughout the book. I have made three of the recipes (so far) and all have been big successes. The chocolate cake torte was divine as were the truffles and base for hot chocolate (or just spoon eating out of the bowl in my case). The book is very precise and the recipes appear to be well tested for the home cook. I even tempered chocolate for the first time with success following her directions clearly detailed in the book. The only fault I can find is that not every recipe has a picture which would be inspiring and helpful, though many of the recipes do have pictures. It is a beautiful book and should be on every chocolate lover's cookbook rack or living room table. I find myself returning to her book for fail safe recipes even over the Chocolate Bible and The Art of Chocolate.

The recipes in this book are very clearly written and easy to follow, with stunningly delicious results. She has helpful hints, such as the one prefacing her recipe for chocolate madeleines: "the molds must be filled exactly so that all the little cookies are ready to come out of the oven at the exact same time." Try the Princess Pudding recipe and you'll never want to buy instant pudding again. I also love the fact that she goes over how to handle chocolate, how to buy the right kind for dessert making, even how to remove chocolate stains from clothing. I don't usually make dessert unless it's from some prepackaged box, so finding a chocolate dessert cookbook that took some of the mystery out of making tarts, puddings, cookies, even ice cream, has been a really fun learning experience.

I love to bake and especially with chocolate. This book is worth its weight in Scharffen Berger! Such a good book...generally easy recipes if you are able to be patient, read the recipes thoroughly and follow the instructions to a "T". :) I've made every birthday cake out of this book, hosted several parties featuring the truffles in here, as well as the brownies...ice creams...it's just a fantastic book. I've tried almost all of the recipes and none have fallen short of delicious.

I'm from Seattle and I'm familiar with Fran's Chocolate's. This book is the quality I expected from such a high quality chocolate shop. If you're a Chocoholic, this book is required reading.

I have a nice collection of cookbooks but as it can get a little "out of hand", I try to limit my new purchases...but: this one was a must and although I have only made the Chocolate Sables so far (they actually developed an even better depth of flavor after a day or two!), just reading this book is worth the price! It helps, of course, that I became familiar with Fran's incredible chocolates when I lived in Portland, OR! I knew her high standards and had faith the cookbook would follow suit. It did!!

By the time that I bought the ingredients for one of the recipes I had spent more money than if I had gone to her shop and bought the dessert. Beautiful book with enjoyable details from Fran like her inspirations. Makes a lovely coffee table book.

i really love this book. everytime i am in need of inspiration, i turn to this book. all the recipes in this book come out fantastic.
my culinary instructor, Kim Smith, was the one who made each item to be photographed.. shes mentioned in the first couple pages!
i love fran, shes my hero. ive only met her once, but i've been to her shops lots of times. best chocolate in seattle.

buy this book! its awesome!
and visit franschocolates.com