Encyclopedia of Chocolate

This comprehensive reference for cooking with chocolate at home includes recipes and professional techniques from the legendary Valrhona culinary school.

Master the art of chocolate through one hundred fundamental step-by-step techniques, including chocolate basics (tempering, ganaches, pralines), candy fillings, decorations, doughs, cream and mousse bases, ice cream and sorbet, sauces, and baker's secrets (marbling, faultless cake crusts, beating egg whites, and more). Each method is explained in text and photographs.

More than one hundred recipes include the classics (Black Forest cake, profiteroles, molten chocolate cake), tarts and tartlets (chocolate-pear, nut-caramel), shared delights, teatime treats (macaroons, brownies, milk chocolate and ginger churros), iced desserts (chocolate cappuccino parfait, raspberry meringue with hot chocolate sauce), holiday creations (dark chocolate fondue, hazelnut-praline Yule log), candies and confections (truffles, lollipops, chocolate-cherries), and new trends.

Recipes are graded with a three-star rating so home chefs can gradually develop their abilities with experience. Cross references to techniques, glossary terms, and complementary recipes make navigation easy. The volume is completed with practical resources: visual dictionaries of kitchen equipment and ingredients; tips for conserving chocolate; a guide to dark, milk, and white chocolate and the importance of cocoa content; along with indexes to ingredients, recipes, and techniques.