Making candy at home can seem like a big challenge when you haven’t done it before, but like all other kitchen-related tasks, a little practice can make a very difficult task easy. Candy-making is a skill that takes a little practice, a little patience and some good recipes, but once you start to get the hang of the process, you can make all kinds of delicious treats. In Atelier Confectionery: Bonbons, Marshmallows, Toffees, Lollipops, Licorice…, you’ll find recipes for a wide variety of confections, from caramels to chocolates. The book focuses on the candies, rather than the chocolates, though there is a chapter on chocolate. It’s a great way to augment your cookbook collection to include more non-chocolate candy recipes.
The book opens with a brief introduction to the ingredients and equipment you’ll want to have on hand before you start. You can think of it as a candy-making supply list and it includes tools like a candy thermometer, piping bags and a marble slab (ideal, though a quartz countertop can do just as well). From there, the book jumps right into the recipes, which are divided up by type. Each chapter walks you through an overview of the most important candy-making concept it uses. So, for instance, the chapter on hand candies begins with a discussion of the hard-crack stage, while the licorice chapter has a tutorial that explains the soft ball stage of sugar. The recipes are written in a clear, accessible way that makes the recipes seem very approachable. You’ll be amazed at all the goodies you can make and will feel very inspired to jump right in and try them!
There are so many recipes in the book, the hardest decision you’ll have to make is which one to start on. Some of the recipes are very straightforward, such as meringues, while others are a little bit trickier, such as the homemade cotton candy (no machine required). All of the recipes are very doable as you learn about the different candy-making techniques covered in the book. Each recipe is illustrated with beautiful photos (sometimes step-by-step photos, depending on what is being discussed) that will both tempt your sweet tooth and inspire you to try new treats.
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