Desserted

November 15, 2011

California native Shaffer and her husband own Black Dinah Chocolatiers on Maine's Isle au Haut. In this anecdote-packed collection of truffles, cakes, cookies, and other treats, she paints a vivid picture of island life. But with only five to six recipes per chapter, this book is more of a niche filler than a stand-alone guide to chocolate. That said, Shaffer's confections can be made with conventional tools, and her unintimidating explanation of tempering and coating techniques is a great start for novices, who might move on to Andrew Garrison Shotts's Making Artisan Chocolates and Alice Medrich's Bittersweet.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.