For those in the field that are looking to expand their knowledge of choclate bon-bons(both molded and enrobed), or those wishing to open their own chocolate business, Fine Chocolates: Great Experience by Jean-pierre Wybauw is a great addition to your library.

The book starts off covering thecovering ingredients used, then moves on to the chocolate processing properties. It covers (in great detail) the crystallizing process, and how to prevent blloms. It discusses rheology and factors that need to be taken into account to extend shelf life. Something that’s a must for businesses.

After discussing sugar processing, the book delves into the recipes. Each recipe is accompanied by a full color photograph, with the full ingredient list. There are also recipes for other confections (marshmallows, nougats , etc.). All in all, there’s approx. 50-55 praline and bon-bon recipes included in this book (not including other confections). In my opinion, you could probably start a chocolate shop if you used them all. Not a bad deal for the price.

A must for the pastry chef’s book collection.

Sometimes you come accross a book that you’ve just got to have. This is one of them (actually part of a series of 4). Petits Fours, Chocolate, Frozen Desserts, and Sugar Work conatins a tremendous amount of information.
While at first look it may seem out-dated, the foundations will be the building blocks of a career. Step by step photographs (this book is full of pictures), detailed recipes and procedures.
The chocolate work covered includes some of the more old-time varieties. Including using corn strach molds, and liquifying centers with fondant. It also covers caramels, nougats and coated cookies.
Frozen desserts centeres around ice cream and bombe making. Featuring recipes for ice creams, sorbets and granites. A large section of the book is devoted to sugar work. Again, the volume goes into heavy detail in the processes of pulled sugar, blown sugar, rock sugar and pastillage. There’s also tips and examples of numerous centerpieces, including ice carving.

While this volume is almost 20 years old, and many advances have been made in these fields, this is all about building foundations that can be expanded upon when mastered.

This is a must have for the pastry chef’s collection.