Truffles, Candies, and Confections: Elegant Candymaking in the Home [Paperback]

Carole Bloom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

Imagine your favorite candy—maybe it's a velvety raspberry truffle or a piece of crisp English toffee. In this completely revised and expanded edition of a culinary classic, pastry chef and teacher Carole Bloom shows intrepid bakers how to turn their visions of sugarplums into home-baked perfection. Bloom begins with an illuminating discussion of candymaking essentials, from ingredients to tools to techniques, and then shares more than 180 exquisitely detailed recipes for truffles, caramels, nut brittles, fudge, and more. If you haven't dared to try candymaking or have been frustrated by attempts in the past, get out the baking sheets and gift boxes—it's time to prepare, devour, and share batches of blissful, homemade treats like Mocha Truffles, Hazelnut Chocolate Kisses, Vanilla Cream Caramels, Butter Peanut Brittle, and Maple Pecan Fudge. Bloom's clear, concise instructions will help beginners master even the trickiest techniques, like tempering chocolate and making caramel, and her many recipe variations will inspire experienced candymakers to experiment with new flavor combinations. With TRUFFLES, CANDIES, AND CONFECTIONS at your side, starting a candymaking tradition will be as rewarding as it is delectable.“If you have a passion for chocolate, caramel, toffee, or truffles, Carole Bloom's collection of luscious two-bite confections will inspire you to create the sweet magic of a candy shop in your own kitchen.” —Flo Braker, author of The Simple Art of Perfect Baking and Sweet Miniatures“Smooth or chunky? Creamy or chewy? Chocolate or vanilla? Fruit or nut-filled? Such sweet choices will surely keep you up at night, luring you into the kitchen to melt and dip your way into candy bliss, then back into bed with a stash of sumptuous sweets.” —Lisa Yockelson, baking journalist and author of Baking by Flavor“This is the book that every chocolate-lover should have within reach at all times! From classic chocolate-dipped caramels and nutty brittles, to truffles with the most exquisite flavors imaginable, Carole's classic book is without a doubt one of the most comprehensive and delectable books on chocolate ever.” —David Lebovitz, author of The Great Book of Chocolate“A first-rate book for making wonderful candy at home. This almost forgotten pleasure is made available to anyone with the careful, clear guidance in these well-tested recipes.” —Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook“Carole Bloom has done meticulous research, writing, and recipe testing for this irresistible book. It's rare to find a teacher so committed to seeing her students succeed.” —Robert Steinberg, co-founder of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc.“It's not just Bloom's background that makes this book so good; she has the rare ability to clearly explain technical procedures and write a recipe that's easy to follow.” —Los Angeles Times

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bloom, a cooking teacher and former pastry chef, has written a very detailed guide to candymaking of all sorts, from Classic Chocolate Truffles to Butter Nut Caramels to Divinity. The technique section, including chocolate work, is particularly good, and the recipes are painstakingly clear. Dessert books abound, but with the exception of specialized titles such as Lee Benning's Oh Fudge! ( LJ 8/90), there are few good ones for home cooks that focus on candy. For most collections.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

CAROLE BLOOM, CCP, studied pastry and confectionery arts in Europe and has worked in world-class hotels and restaurants in Italy, Switzerland, and California. She is the award-winning author of seven cookbooks; her feature articles have appeared in magazines such as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Gourmet, and Chocolatier; and she has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, and ABC World News This Morning among others. Carole has taught her art for more than twenty-five years at cooking schools throughout the United States and has also worked as a consultant for both new and established culinary enterprises. Carole lives in Carlsbad, California, with her husband and their two cats.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Crossing Press; 2nd edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895948338
• ISBN-13: 978-0895948335
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Fine Arts. While deciding whether to go to graduate school in Art History or Dance I traveled to Europe where I experienced incredible desserts and pastries. That's when I decided that I wanted to be a pastry chef. I studied pastry and confectionery arts at La Varenne in Paris and Le Cordon Bleu in London. I've also served an apprenticeship in a fabulous pastry shop in Venice,Italy and have worked at 5 star hotels in Lausanne, Switzerland and San Francisco, CA. I've also worked in top restaurants in Southern California and have had my own business making desserts and cakes for small restaurants, cafes, and individuals. For many years I made wedding and special occasion cakes. For close to 30 years I've been teaching my art to others, specializing in demystifying complicated techniques so everyone can make fabulous desserts, pastries, and confections at home. I enjoy creating desserts for my books to share with everyone. And, I'm always happy to hear from my readers with questions and successes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like truffles..., February 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Truffles, Candies, and Confections: Elegant Candymaking in the Home (Paperback)

This book has excellent, easy to follow recipes. I made 5 batches of different truffles for Valentine's Day gifts, and they were very well received. If you have not worked with chocolate before, I recommend also purchasing 'The Art of Chocolate' by Elaine Gonzalez. The techniques of chocolate handling are explained in detail. When these techniques are combined with Ms. Bloom's recipes, it was a fun and easy endeavor.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chocolate Bliss for the Home Chocolatier, March 10, 2003

By 

C. Bennett (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Truffles, Candies, and Confections: Elegant Candymaking in the Home (Paperback)

Carole Bloom says that this book is "all about pleasure" on page 1. This 200-page book includes recipes and techniques for making a wide variety of candy and chocolates right in your own home.

The book is organized topically into chapters: Introduction, Ingredients, Equipment and Tools, Techniques, Truffles, More Chocolate Candies, Caramel Candies, Nut Brittles and Marzipan, Fudge Nougat and Divinity, Fruit Candies and an Appendix of Sugar Stages/Temperatures/Weights and Measurement Equivalents.

Using the chapters on techniques and ingredients, even the beginner will be able to create luscious truffles at home. While there are only 11 photographs in the book, the equipment chapter has several drawings that will enable you to locate the right tool.

Each recipe includes a brief introduction, an expected yield, a list of ingredients, paragraph-style instructions on how to prepare the recipe, and variations. Recipes include Tropical Clusters, Swiss Chocolate Truffles, and Florentines.

From the basic to the exotic, you are sure to find the candy recipe you need in this little book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Candymaking made easy, January 25, 2005

By 

Leelee Sobieski (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Truffles, Candies, and Confections: Elegant Candymaking in the Home (Paperback)

This is a great book that shows you how to make fabulous candies at home easily.The author gives a wealth of information about chocolate and other ingredients, minimal equipment needed, and great recipes. My favorites are Caramel Chocolate Truffles, Orange-Hazelnut-Chocolate Clusters, Chocolate Nut Bark, and Mocha-Spice Fudge. Everyone on my list will be receiving homemade candy this holiday season.I enjoyed this book [...].My personal favorites are the truffles, especially the Green Tea Truffles