Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!

Wonderfully easy recipes for cooks of ages and experiences. I would have given five stars if there had been more photos of the food.

As one might expect, this cookbook is heavy on desserts, but savory dishes using caramel are not neglected.

You'll find plenty of intriguing recipes using both homemade and store-bought caramel.

I just wish that the publisher had done a better job of turning British English terms into American ones.

WOW! What an amazing fun learning experience! So many wonderful tips and recipes! I cant wait to start trying them all out!

This wonderfully and aptly named cookbook covers all aspects of making and using caramel.

The introduction explains what caramel is, covers the basic rules of making caramel (including safety - cooking caramel is a very hot process!), and suggests emergency shortcuts to use in place of homemade caramel.

The recipes are divided into five sections: four sweet and one savory. The sweet recipes are labeled 'Petit Fours' (simpler desserts) 'Bars,' 'Cakes' and 'Desserts on a Plate' (more complicated desserts). The savory dish section is not extremely extensive, but is a nice addition.

The photographs are all stunning, which is an incredible achievement because most caramels are shades of brown, not the best color to photograph. The recipes are decadent, indulgent and rich. Particular standouts include the Orange-Infused Millionaire Bars, the Gingerbread Caramel Ruffle Cake, Cheesecake Brulee Squares, and Choux au Caramel.

I like that there are varying levels of difficulty across the recipes. The cookbook is a bit small compared to the sizes of other cookbooks, but I would always prefer a smaller, richer selection of recipes to a cook book bloated with cheap filler recipes. 'Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!': may be smallish in size but it is huge in quality.

This is a wonderful guide for any home cook who enjoys making desserts. This one really allows you to showcase your cooking skills!

As much as I love caramel, making it at home frightens me. I bought a candy thermometer a few years ago, but I have never been brave enough to attempt a recipe that requires me to use it. I requested this cookbook from NetGalley hoping that it would demystify and simplify the caramel making process enough to inspire me to break that candy thermometer free from its package.

What I was expecting from this book was a master recipe for caramel at the beginning, and then fifty or so different creative ways to employ that master recipe. That wasn’t the case. Each recipe had its own unique caramel component: some recipes required a candy thermometer to make the caramel component, some recipes didn’t. Some recipes even used pre-prepared dulce de leche or caramel bits for the caramel component instead of making it from scratch. Unfortunately, because the book didn’t provide a master caramel recipe, there was no way to substitute a homemade caramel component in the recipes that call for caramel bits. There was also no source information provided in the book. There was some description of dulce de leche in the Tips section, as well as some guidance as where to look for it. However, even after finishing the book, I’m still not sure what “caramel bits” are or where to look for them. My best guess is that they are either the individually wrapped Kraft caramel squares or something similar to them.

After the Introduction and Tips, the book was divided into five main sections: Caramel Petit Fours (including candies and cookies), Caramel Bars, Caramel Cakes, Savory Dishes with Caramel, and the catch-all Caramel Desserts on a Plate. The type of caramel component varied from recipe to recipe. In some recipes, the caramel was an integral component, like a mousse or a pastry crème. In other recipes, the caramel was a sauce or other topping. Each recipe clearly indicated the yield and the ingredients in a colored sidebar. The ingredients were predominantly commonly available items, with the occasional oddity such as rosewater, glucose or demara sugar. Each recipe began with a brief introduction that gave some specific tips on recipe preparation, and clearly indicated whether a candy thermometer or other special equipment is needed. Recipe steps were clearly written and easy to follow. The steps for making the caramel component were written as uniformly as possible across the recipes. So if you get the technique down in one recipe, it would be easy to pick up another recipe and do the same (or similar) thing. The steps for choux were also standardized across the two or three recipes that called for it.

The majority of the recipes were accompanied by exquisitely styled full color photos of the finished product. These were gorgeous. However, I would have preferred to also see photos of recipes in process, as part of caramel making is recognizing when it becomes a “light caramel” or an “amber caramel” or a “dark caramel.” Some kind of visual color key definitely would have given me the extra confidence that I need to embark upon a caramel making journey.

The Index was disappointing. It was only one page, and only listed items by their full Table of Contents name. So, for example, if you wanted to find the page number for a cheesecake or a carrot cake in the Index, you would not look under “C.” Both are listed under “N”: “New York Cheesecake” and “Nude Carrot Cake.” And if you are looking to prepare something with dulce de leche, you’ll only get a few of the recipes by looking under “D,” because the Marbleized Dulce de Leche Brownies are listed under “M.”

Overall, I give this book high marks for the wide variety of the recipes presented and the absolutely beautiful photography. However, I was surprised by the large number of recipes that relied on using caramel bits without the option for homemade caramel. I love pecan turtles, but I’d like to be able to make them totally from scratch (even if it means using the candy thermometer). If I am going to invest the money in buying a book about making something, I intend to invest in the time to make it. I was also a little surprised by how loosely “caramel” was interpreted in some of the recipes. For example, the Caramelized Balsamic Dressing, is basically a balsamic reduction sweetened with honey.

While I have found some recipes that I am really interested in trying, I have yet to prepare any of the recipes from this cookbook. When I do, I will update my review.

UPDATE: I just attempted the recipe for Cambembert Cheese with Carmelized Honey, Rosemary and Walnuts from this book. Actually, I attempted it twice because my first attempt ended in disaster. I followed the instructions as written, stirring regularly over medium heat and setting the timer for five minutes once the mixture reached a boil. With three minutes left on the timer, the stuff in the pot had quickly and unexpectedly turned dark brown and smelled acrid. It was a total loss. So I threw it out, cleaned up the mess, and started over. This time I set the mixture over medium low heat and started the timer at the first hint of a bubble. After four minutes, I removed the pot from the heat, stirred in the rosemary, salt, baking soda and walnuts, and then poured the confection over the waiting wheel of camembert. It was delicious! The perfect balance of sweet, savory and salty. I had undercooked the caramel a little bit, so it was chewy instead of a hard shell, which was fine by me. I still have the sticky caramel mess to clean up, but at least I know that the recipe is awesome.

Delicious!

ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book should be Yum, Yum, and More Yum. If you like caramel this is a dream cook book for you, if you don't well then there is just something wrong with you.

First go in knowing this is not a diet book, you will gain weight with every recipe but as long as you can use moderation you should be fine.

There are some standard ideas and recipes but also some new ones I cannot wait to try. I have no doubt a trip to the dentist will be a result from this book.

A beautiful and very useful book for anyone looking for new recipe ideas both sweet and savory! As is apparent from the title, the theme is caramel, but the recipes include a number of caramel's 'sweet siblings' like the Cheesecake Brûlée Squares and Sticky Toffee Buns. Caramelized is as special as caramel! The authors include preparation hints with their recipe notes, a real help to those adding to their cooking skills. All-in-all, a winner.

I really enjoyed the introduction to this book. It made me consider caramel in a different light! The useful tips in the beginning are also great.

I like the chatty, warm, tone of voice throughout the book. The pictures are lovely and inspire you to cook. I think the little blurb to each of the recipes is a nice touch with the suggestions and alternative twists. Some of the recipes look really exciting and different- I can't wait to try them out.

When I finished looking through this cookbook, I was quivering with excitement. Everything looks so good. Not only is it the sort of cookbook I look for--recipes the kids will want to make, great pictures, no really difficult to find ingredients--but I wanted to make and eat everything in the book. This is definitely first place on my to-buy list!

Caramel is all the rage right now, and Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!, by Michal Moses and Ivana Nitzan has enough recipes to keep even the most avid caramel aficionados very happy.

The recipes in the book are easy to follow, and are not only for candies and desserts, but also for savory dishes such as Chicken in Cider Caramel, Chicken in Caramel Gastrique, Salmon in Soy Caramel Sauce, and Steak with Brandy Caramel Sauce.

Although some of the recipes feature homemade caramel, many utilize caramel bits, store-bought caramel candies, or caramel cut from a block. This makes it possible for cooks in a hurry, and cooks who don’t have advanced candy-making skills to make the recipes successfully. The layout of the book is nice, albeit the print is extra small, so many will require reading glasses or someone young to read them the recipe. The recipes are written so that beginning cooks, as well as skilled cooks will be able to understand and make the recipes.

The book is also well-organized, has an excellent index and table of contents, and dozens of mouthwatering recipes. The pictures are beautiful, and absolutely no one will be able to resist making several. The Oat, Toffee, and Chocolate Chip Cookies are especially good, and won’t last long in any household, but it may be necessary to hide them. The same goes for the Orange Infused Millionaire Shortbread (a favorite in the UK, but soon to be a favorite everywhere), and The Salmon with Soy Caramel Sauce was a hit with everyone lucky enough to taste it.

This cookbook is highly recommended; it’s a small book filled with recipes for big hits.

Warning: Do not peruse this book if you are on a diet!

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying an Advanced Reader copy of this cookbook.

Brilliant new and delicious

I love baking. I love caramel. This is the book I have been waiting for! Loads of totally amazing mouth-watering recipes to try.

Even though I am going on a diet and planning to hit the gym with gusto I still plan on digging into several of the recipes in Caramel, Caramel, Caramel. I've already used the salted caramel option with a basic brownie batter and it was awesome. My audience of 7 year olds loved em.

The recipes look easy to follow and the ingredients easy to acquire.

My mouth is watering, my brain is filled with plans for cooking with caramel, and I am especially excited to try making homemade caramel!

More than 50 sweet and savory dishes using Caramel. Some recipes are easy to follow and other more complex. I tried several different recipes and all turned out great. The cookbook was very helpful and detailed with great pictures.

This is the kind of book that makes you fat. It’s the kind of book that makes your mouth water, that makes your taste buds yearn, that makes you want to head to the nearest grocer to buy out all the sugar.

I don’t know what else to say about this book. It’s more than just caramel, it’s much more than just desserts and candy, it’s perfection. The most scrumptious photos accompany the recipes. You can feel the juice from the Honey Candy Apples running down your throat, you can imagine the crunch of the Salted Caramel & Peanut Bars, taste the hot Caramel Lava sauce from the Molten Chocolate Cakes on your tongue. The Savory chapter has everything from Salmon with Soy Caramel Sauce to Chicken in Cider Caramel to Caramelized Onion Tart to Salads and Nuts and Cheese and even Steak with Brandy Caramel Sauce.

There are gosh darn Marbled Pavlovas with Chocolate Caramel Mousse.

I just want to cry with desire as I turn through these delicious pages, I want a vat of caramel in front of me to just smash my face into.

If you like caramel, this is the book. This is the caramel book to end all caramel books. I can’t imagine wanting anything else in caramel. There is everything you could imagine and more. There is simple and complicated, sweet and savory, snack to main dish to dessert.

This is a book I need for my shelf. I need caramel recipes in my repertoire. I need sweet, salty, thick caramel flowing over my tongue. I need to pretend I won’t gain twenty pounds just from attempting as many recipes that I can.

The only possible rating for this book is five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
No thanks to NetGalley for all the cardio work that’s in my future.

Book Review: Caramel, Caramel and More Caramel! by Michal Moses and Ivana Nitzan
Review by Dawn Thomas

128 Pages
Publisher: Imagine by Charlesbridge

Cooking, Food & Wine, Sauces & Toppings, Confectionery

I love cookbooks. Every time I open one, I am immediately drawn into a world of wonderful pictures and endless possibilities. This book did not let me down. The authors are founders of Petit Gateau, a catering company that creates pastries, graphic design and food styling. They also co-wrote Cupcake Nibbles and Organic Sweets & Treats. I knew I was in for treat when I opened the book.

There are over 50 recipes in the book. They range from sweet and savory so there is something for everyone. The opening line is “Who Doesn’t Love Caramel?!” and I have to agree. The photography in the book is wonderful. The food jumps off the page at you. The recipes are easy to follow and most have simple ingredients. There are many sweet dishes but also savory dishes with chicken, onions and salmon. I never expected to find those items in a caramel book but the recipes sound intriguing.

It was hard to pick out just one favorite from this book. I liked the strawberry lettuce salad with caramelized balsamic dressing. The two varieties of caramelized pecans were very good. The spicy version has a nice kick to it. I had never tried an onion tart and I was surprised by how easy it was to make. I love banana pancakes and the peanut butter caramel sauce was a great addition. My goal is to try a new recipe every week and with so many to pick from, I will be busy for a long time.

Totally tempting and tantalizing!!! Mostly desserts, of course, but caramel brandy sauce sounds pretty good too. Very straightforward with easy to follow directions. Beautiful photography too. May cause you to gain a couple of pounds! Recommended.

Caramel, Caramel, & more Caramel! Sweet and savory recipes for creative caramel Cuisine by Michael Moses and Ivana Nitzan is a cook book for all caramel-lovers.
A yummy cook book, let me add. Caramel is mostly associated at sweet childhood memories :-) that's why maybe caramel continues to be so loved by everyone.

This cook book is very serious, impressive for the dishes proposed and the recipes you will find explained with great accuracy. Who wrote this book, Michael Moses is a chef with a prestigious curriculum graduated at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris with a Grande Diplome in cooking and pastry.

Most of the recipes are according to my point of view lived with the french perception of bakery. Very elaborated, cultivated, elegant you will create thanks to the instructions given by the author the dish you desire for every occasion.

Do you organize an afternoon with the schoolmates of your kid? Don't worry: from lollipops to candies, bars etc you will find the recipes for them.

Is it necessary a special dessert for ending a dinner or a lunch superbly? Don't panic: you will discover the perfect one.

You have invited your friends for an afternoon with some tea and you want to offer them something special? Go for this book.

Caramel is in fact an aliment pretty diversified and "plastic". It can be used in many recipes with great success.

Candies, bars, cakes for every occasion, from the most modern ones to the classic evergreen, passing through the desserts on a plate and...veggies with caramel touch.

Enjoy!

Caramel, Caramel, & more Caramel! Sweet and savory recipes for creative caramel Cuisine by Michael Moses and Ivana Nitzan is a book you'll love, you'll adore. Perfect for a gift, wonderful for surprising your family and friends.

Thanks to Netgalley for this sweet book!

This cookbook has me so excited for Fall! I want to try all of these great recipes.

Yummy book with beautiful pictures and recipes. I will be adding this to my collection.

I can see myself putting on more weight with these delicious recipes. Some of which I have made on various occasions for family treats and self indulgence. Plenty of recipes that I haven't yet tried, but soon will. Although a minor issue, here in the UK there are a few terms which are not used here in the UK. Such as 'graham crackers', which are known as digestive biscuits. I never weigh by cups either, but as I say, minor issues. Recommended to all, especially those who enjoy caramel.

Caramel lovers rejoice!! This is your book! If you love caramel, this book is for you. Beautiful photography and plenty of recipes. I give this book 10 stars! Well written, easy to follow recipes with ingredients you have on hand for the most part. I'm thoroughly impressed with Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel! It definitely lives up to it's title!! Bravo!

I couldn't resist this cookbook because I love anything caramel, toffee or butterscotch. One of the first things the book clarifies is the difference between caramel and toffee, which I never really knew before. Dulce de Leche also comes up in some of the recipes and is defined for those who didn't already know.

The recipes! I did expect some wonderfully decadent sweet recipes and was not to be disappointed, but the unusual savory recipes, matching caramel with chicken and other foods we wouldn't normally think of, makes this cookbook unique. I should clarify though that the savory recipes are caramelised rather than having something like caramel sauce on chicken, although you could get that effect with the caramel fondue and chicken pieces if you were having weird pregnancy cravings or something.

I especially liked that it started with recipes to make your own caramels and toffees rather than relying on melting down commercially made ones. As a Brit who misses Toffos, I intend to experiment with the toffee recipe and flavoured syrups!

Some of the sweet recipes are just too good. Caramel marbled into chocolate brownies, a chocolate banana toffee torte with cream on top and sticky toffee buns are just the sort of thing I picked this book up for. The brilliant thing is that these wonderful recipes are easy! No weird, exotic, hard to find ingredients. Basic sugar, butter, and cream are the building blocks for most caramel related recipes and many wonderful treats await.

There are even healthy recipes like carrot cake with white chocolate caramel frosting or using fruits and oats in the sweet sections. I think I'll b e getting more use out of this cookbook than many others in my collection!

Wonderful recipe book of all things caramel! Who wouldn't enjoy this recipe book on their shelves! I can't wait until next fall to try caramel pears along with apples! 50 wonderful treats to make and eat. Instructions are clear and easy to follow and the photographs make one want to try every tasty treat!

I love caramel, both in sweet and savoury dishes and so was excited to have a chance to review this book. The recipes are in US cups, but these measuring cups are easily available in the UK so this should not present a problem for UK readers. My galley copy was a little confusing in layout with some ingredient lists running before the recipe and introductory passages but this did not prevent me from concluding that this book has some stunning desert recipes and visually enticing photos of the end results. Whilst this is not a huge collection, there are hot and cold sweets including banana pancakes with peanut butter, caramel sauce to Toffee Pavlova with Caramelised Peaches. The savoury recipes include several dishes for chicken, a salmon and a steak dish. There is also a caramelised onion tart and salad along with yummy sounding snacks and bakes.
I would suggest this book might not be the best source for a wide range of savoury dishes and I would have liked to see a little more but for those of us wanting to satisfy a sweet tooth craving for desert then look no further. Recipes vary in difficulty so even the most inexperienced of us should be able to indulge.

I give the book four stars. I like pictures. I found the directions easy to follow. I tried a couple of recipes and I had some success. I would recommend the cook book.