Making Chocolate: From Bean to Bar to S'more

by Todd Masonis, Greg D'Alesandre, Molly Gore

From nationally-lauded San Francisco chocolate maker, Dandelion Chocolate, comes the first ever complete guide to making chocolate from scratch. From the simplest techniques and technology—like hair dryers to rolling pins—to the science and mechanics of making chocolate from bean to bar, Making Chocolate holds everything the founders and makers behind San Francisco’s beloved chocolate factory have learned since the day they first cracked open a cocoa bean. 

Best known for their single origin chocolate made with only two ingredients—cocoa beans and cane sugar—Dandelion Chocolate shares all their tips and tricks to working with cocoa beans from different regions around the world. There are kitchen hacks for making chocolate at home, a deep look into the nuts, bolts, and ethics of sourcing beans and building relationships with producers along the supply chain, and for ambitious makers, tips for scaling up. Complete with 30 recipes from the chocolate factory's much-loved pastry kitchen, Making Chocolate is a resource for hobbyists and more ambitious makers alike, as well as anyone looking for maybe the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2017

Reviews

[Hajdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like savoring a piece of your favorite chocolate, enjoying each phase as new flavors burst on your tongue, this is a book for chocolate enthusiasts to savor. Making Chocolate will be a treasured resource for chocolate makers both new and experienced, as well as enthusiasts wanting to learn more about where chocolate comes from and how it's made. Each section of the book is full of precisely thorough and useful information. Dandelion chocolate is not keeping their secrets here, they are sharing their knowledge, experiences, and even their failures for all of our benefit. I wish I had this book when I first started making chocolate at home a year ago. If you are just starting to make chocolate, talk to as many chocolate makers as you can because they all use different methods, but definitely have a copy of this book as your reference guide.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super informative about chocolate and where it comes from written by bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Dandelion Chocolate. Features origin stories, cacao varieties, and why it's important to source good, high quality beans from local farmers, all while exuding ethical and sustainable business practices. This book was very useful to me because I work for a local chocolate factory that follows many of the same business principles. Also includes a section on how one can make their own chocolate at home and a whole section of mouthwatering recipes at the end.

Side note: I think it's very important that consumers are aware of where their chocolate comes from and the people behind it!

[Gabbie De Guzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dandelion as a brand because they’re just so down to earth and I really really enjoyed this book because it’s a really extensive look into the world of chocolate! They didn’t hold back on sharing their knowledge and experiences.

[Amber Royer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it for the gorgeous photographs alone. Covers everything from sourcing chocolate to baking with it. Lovely recipes.