Sweet Confections Cookbook Review

Sweet Confections: Beautiful Candy to Make at Home
By: Nina Wanat
Provided by Sterling Publishing and Lark Crafts
www.sterlingpublishing.com, www.larkcrafts.com
Reviewed by Danielle Zimmerman, editor of TheBestDessertRecipes.com

Nothing tastes quite as good as a piece of homemade candy. There's just something about homemade sweets that gives them so much flavor and personality. Yet, many people are scared to make their own homemade candy, preferring instead to buy their sweet treats from grocery stores and shops. However, with this candy cookbook, making candy at home in your own kitchen has never been easier. Nina Wanat makes candy-making into a delightfully delicious artform in her cookbook, Sweet Confections: Beautiful Candy to Make at Home.

This cute cookbook has almost 100 pages of homemade candy recipes, as well as large vibrant photos for each recipe. All of the candy recipes are divided by texture; there's a chapter for crunchy candy, one for chewy candy, and a third for silky candy. From brittles and lollipops to caramels and taffies, as well as marshmallows and truffles, this cookbook has all of the types of candy that you'd ever want to make. They're classy enough for holidays and parties, but also perfect for regular days and nights around the house. My favorite recipe in the whole book is her Jelly Candies (p. 76). I've always had a soft spot for jelly candies (especially when they're coated in sugar) so I was really excited to learn how I could make them in my very own kitchen.

My favorite part about this book (besides all of the wonderful photos) has to be the first section of the book that's solely devoted to candy-making tips, tricks, and simple how-to's. I really appreciate the fact that Nina Wanat, the author, took the time to break down a lot of the special techniques and procedures that are important in candy-making, such as how to dip candies and caramelize sugar. Thanks to that section of the book, I know exactly what she's talking about in the recipes when she mentions a certain technique or ingredient.