The Cacao Alphabet

This is a guide to using cocoa powder in professional recipes, prepared by a dozen leading chocolatiers under the aegis of Cacao Barry, the Belgian premium manufacturer. 

Not surprisingly, it uses Cacao Barry’s own powders as a point of reference, but a pastry chef armed with the technical specifications any product they would like to employ can refer to the book for relevant information about about factors such as:

• Alkalization
• Flavor profiles
• Color
• pH range
• Fat content
• Water absorption
• Reaction with leavening agents

There are recipes for cacao powder-based creations, from dacquoise and joconde to financiers, mousses, brioche, and mirror glazes.

The contributing chefs are Ciro Fraddanno, Philippe Marand, Ramon Morato, Lauren V. Haas, Julie Sharp, Dimitri Fayard, Martin Diez, Mark Tilling, Gabrielle Drapper, Xavier González, Ilias Nikola and Paul Yochum.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.