The Art of the Confectioner: Sugarwork and Pastillage

Mr Notter I salute you once again:The Art of the Confectioner- Sugarwork and Pastillage is meant for professional Sweet and pastry makers, but it also disects the techniques enough so it can be followed by the serious home cooks who wants to try something new and exciting.Sugar is one of the most exciting mediums for Sculpting & crafting.The structure of it allows glass like manipulation to create amazing sculptural pieces.There are recipes for each technique, as well as lots of photographs to assist in explaining each step.This book is over 300 pages of well written and photographed instructions, recipes and tips. It's a comprehensive course in itself.The book starts with the basic tools you'll need, Please Note that some of the tools are specific to techniques also look at the technique you want and then see the tools you'll need for that project.The different categories are:A. Pastillage- this is something like a sugar clay that can be worked much like polymer, it's allowed to air dry and can be airbrushed with food safe colors. It can be rolled and sculpted.B. Sugar casting works to create solid transparent pieces. It's similar to any hard candy you may have made.C. Sugar pulling- this is the method that created the gorgeous candy ribbons on the cover. It's also ideal for flowers.D. Blown Sugar- like blown glass, this creates delicate hollow ornaments and sculpture, and also uses the most specialized toolsE. There are also newer effects like net which creates lacy patterns in a sheet and pressed sugar which is the same way sugar eggs or sugar skulls are made.Each technique has projects shown with step-by-step instructions. You will learn how to make molds for casting, how to texture pastillage, and how to blow shapes like doves for an incredibly lovely cake topper.There are also tips for painting the finished pieces. While some of the ingredients will have to be purchased online or at a specialty store, it's worth it.There are lots of photographs which show the range of this medium. Fish swimming in coral, abstract works of art that look like glass and ornaments that look like vintage German glass.I really do recommend it, and think that sugar sculpting may be a micro-trend soon in food crafting.Go on you know you want to.....Enjoy

I bought this book because I read that it had a latest trends section-most of which didn't I don't agree to be a new trend (eg pressed sugar, .Which was a bit disappointing. Although there is plenty of information on isomalt and the clear blowing of isomalt-something I was delighted to find.Still, it is a great book for both the beginner and professional. Three recipes are given for pulled/blown sugar - to cover all bases - a recipe without glucose, with powdered glucose, and with isomalt.The book contains some great blown figures - I especially liked the shell and horse. Although the finished pieces are amazing, the white background on all the photos doesn't do some of the finished pieces justice.And although the author notes that all equipment must be spotless, there is no mention of salt and vinegar solution (or maybe I missed it) for cleaning the pots/pan - which might be useful information to know for the beginner. And maybe some alternatives to expensive and difficult to source sugar work equipment could have been mentioned for beginners-because he gives limestone, cardboard tubes etc. as cheaper/easier to source alternatives.Overall it is a very good book with beautiful pieces a nice book to add to the collection and I'm happy with the purchase.

very good book highly recommended to the Professional chef great book

Tells you all you need to know. Seemed a bit expensive but well worth the asking price😃

The book was mostly in perfect condition, with exception to the first few pages, a couple were stuck together and other bent. Deliverytime was very good. Overall happy customer

Love this book, just what I was looking for. Very informative and in a no nonsense format. Right book at the right time for me as I am just starting to explore these forms of sugarwork hence the full five stars.

Definitely a book for professional confectioners or patisseries, beautiful photography and so much useful information. Arrived well before delivery estimate too

Lovely detail