Cake Decorating with Modeling Chocolate

If you've ever wished your dessert were shaped like the Parthenon and sandwiched between an edible Colosseum and Lighthouse of Alexandria, then just stop reading this review and buy the book. But even if your dessert style is more "rice crispy ball" than "edible architecture," don't walk away! There's plenty of tips and tricks for even the casual baker, and Ms. Coniaris writes with a voice that's straightforward, charming and encouraging and makes a four-tiered thematic cake seem somehow manageable.I'm not about to construct the Hanging Gardens of Babylon out of buttercream, but after reading this book, I know how to make decorative roses, how to stack tiers, how to mix vibrant buttercreams, and how to calculate servings based on pan dimensions. The instructions are clear and engaging, and the photos are exquisite. Even if you never tried a single technique in this book it would still do honor to your coffee table based on photos alone.There's a cheery koi with 200 vibrant modeling chocolate "scales." There's a triple-tiered buttercream with a rainbow of bright roses and cascades of sugary pearls in 28 different shades. There's a four-foot tall gingerbread interpretation of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory complete with Oompa Loompas and a chocolate river. There's a model of the Millennium Falcon. And there is chocolate -- oh, is there chocolate -- white, semisweet, dark; in chips, ribbons and sheets; in every color and shape you can imagine.In short, whether you're looking for instruction or inspiration, there's something in this book to satisfy.

Who would have thought that so much could be done with an ingredients and elements that I love? Chocolate and desserts and decorating! If you love cookbooks, which I do--I'm one of those who actually will read them like a book-book, creating variations of a recipe as I go along in my head and writing notes in margins--this one is awesome. Beautifully designed, easy to follow. Yes, some of the ideas are above my pay-grade, but hey, I came away with a huge array of tips and how-tos. I discovered the author when she took top honors with her Gingerbread house, all three feet plus of it, in Boston a year ago. Her website is the cat's meow and I marveled at her skills at creating visual masterpieces out of common food for the eye.(I'll never think of jelly beans and pretzel sticks as just munchies again). Of course I would want her first book. If you love cookbooks, you will want this one; if you are into artistic creations for taste buds, you will want this one; and if you just want to stretch yourself with your own creating, Kristen Coniaris is your teacher. Highly recommended. You'll want this book.Judith Briles, author of Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms. Author YOU-Creating and Building the Author and Book Platforms

Coniaris' book is excellent. In addition to the vivid photos that clearly guide readers through each technique and tutorial, her writing style is descriptive and as vivid as the photos. Each "how-to" really comes to life through the combination of words and photos. The detailed step-by-step instructions would make it easy for even a novice to re-create all the decorations.I'm not a pastry chef, but have worked in many high-end bakeries for years and can attest that modeling chocolate is FAR superior to fondant. I can't imagine why any bakery or baker that aims to offer high-quality products would even touch the stuff (fondant). This book really is the ultimate guide to making the switch to modeling chocolate and mastering its use! Once you try it, you'll never go back to fondant.If you're still not sure, I recommend checking out Coniaris' blog to get a taste of the quality information you'll get from this book - http://www.wickedgoodies.net/category/decorating/

After years of baking this was my first introduction to using modeling chocolate. This book is helpful and somewhat an elementary but comprehensive immersion in this kind of special decorating. It is a very good place to start and hone a baker’s decorating skills. Recommended.

Kristen's book is just about the best I have read. I simply love it. There are step by step tutorials and great pictures to look at for help. There are recipes,tutorials, and examples that are really helpful and Kristen is always there to help you. I highly recommend this book to everyone hobby baker or professional. Modeling chocolate is a fun way to decorate cakes if you don't want to use fondant. Cake decorating with Modeling Chocolate is a great book to own.

A very strong start that just sort of fizzled out before the end. The author starts off giving you some great information about the various types of chocolate and the sweetness level as well as the different sugars that can be used to create a good modeling chocolate.  She provides solutions to problems that may arise while creating or working with the modeling chocolate. For instance if it is too hard, too soft, too oily, or too dry she explains what you can do to fix each of those problems.Unfortunately, once she gets into the actual decorating section, it feels more like an opportunity to brag about her own achievements and give some questionable decorating practices like using styrofoam!  Styrofoam is NOT to be eaten. Hiding inside of chocolate it could easily be mistaken as edible and someone could choke on it. A better suggestion would be create a chocolate foundation or use rice crispy treats, or cake pop... But do not put something like styrofoam inside food. Unless the item is obviously not to be eaten, decorative columns, fountains, plastic lattice, you should not be putting things that cannot be eaten inside where people don't know that it's not food! That's just bad practice. Also, in the digital version many links gave a 401 error. Not me best spent $17.In conclusion, the section on how to make and work with the modeling chocolate was good, the decorating sections, not so much.

This book `gives’ endlessly. Yes, I am a beginner so can only view from that perspective...and I only bought it 5 minutes ago so no chance to experiment yet...and there are a couple of wacky designs that I won’t use ... but it looks very well researched and I couldn’t ask for more.

Me a sido muy útil jamás había trabajado con chocolate y en este libro e estado aprendiendo cómo hacerlo, además de otros tips buenísimos lo recomiendo ampliamente .👍🏻

I love the modeling chocolate recipe, it is awesome! I also love the techniques mentioned in the book. I don't like the figures though, that part left me wanting more

I'm a big fan of baking and decorating.When I saw the book I had to get it to get new ideas.This book had thousands of ideas in it. It was great.I will definitely order again

Very informative and inspirational! Eager to try and incorporate into my knowledge base.