The Ultimate Candy Book: More Than 700 Quick and Easy, Soft and Chewy, Hard and Crunchy Sweets and Treats

So many recipes and variations for every kind of candy imaginable. I get excited just looking at it!

I paged through this book at the library and realized it was valuable enough to add to my group of cookbooks so I immediately ordered it. There are 248 pages in the book with only three chapters - Quick and Easy Sweets, Soft and Chewy Treats and Hard and Crunchy Candy. Many variations in the candy recipes are provided which is how the 700 recipe number is reached. Some reviewers took issue with this, but for me it is not a problem because there is much imagination in many of the additions that I would not have considered. Granted there are some easy recipes that would be great to make with children (the entire first chapter,) but complex candy recipes are also included. This is a clearly printed, easy to read black and white, no-nonsense cookbook, comprehensive in nature and chock-full of ideas. There are NO photographs, normally a point of contention with me but in this situation I had no problem. Most candy is pretty straightforward in appearance, which is not the case with many types of cooking/baking - so although photographs would have been nice, their absence did not detract. Where appearance is unusual, Weinstein took pains to clearly describe how to create the candy. High altitude candy making is a problem I have repeatedly wrestled with and although it is not the subject of this comprehensive book, I found the author's (Bruce Weinstein) suggestion to test the candy thermometer to find the boiling point very smart. Perhaps this seems obvious, but it never occurred to me, and ultimately, all that matters is what each thermometer registers. I was using another author's suggestion -- subtract fifteen degrees from any temperature given to adjust for altitude -- but Weinstein's method is much more accurate in candy making where there is little room for error. Also, I appreciated the reminder of how weather affects candy making - high humidity and high temperatures. Further, the advice for treating burns is evidence of the thoroughness of the material. That is the point - the author makes an effort to cover every eventuality in the candy making process. I prepared the Burnt Sugar Fudge and the Mocha Buttercream Truffles (a variation from the basic Buttercream Truffle recipe) and was very pleased with the results. I plan on trying the Infused Truffles. The basic recipe is infused with black tea and variations include infusing with basil, Earl Grey tea, sliced ginger, juniper berries and tarragon. Every time I look through the book I find another recipe I want to try -- some fun some sophisticated -- Gummy Bears with variations, Halvah, Chewing Gum, Buttermilk Pralines (one variation includes Tabasco sauce), Chocolate Cherries with variations that include adding a small piece of jalapeno pepper, spiked cherries (vodka, kirsch or brandy) and on and on. Whether the user only has 20 minutes or a couple of hours this book has recipes to suit any situation. This is a book I know I will use again and again.

I got this book for my new hobbies of candy making. What a great book in great condition.

The only candy recipe cookbook you will ever need.... I Love It!!!!

When I had received this book my wife gave me the look and said "anouther cookbook". I smiled and nodded as she began to flip through the pages and she started listing off recipes of interest. By the time she closed the book she began talking about the recipes we are going to be trying this Christmas season. This book is now in a good home.