Birck Signe - Chocopologie: confections & baked treats from the acclaimed chocolatier

Copyright 2015 by Fritz Knipschildt and Mary Goodbody

Photography 2015 by Signe Birck

All rights reserved.

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Knipschildt, Fritz.

Chocopologie / by Fritz Knipschildt with Mary Goodbody.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-118-52352-0 (cloth); 978-0-544-17879-3 (ebk)

1. Chocolate desserts. 2. Cooking (Chocolate)

I. Goodbody, Mary. II. Title.

TX767.C5K586 2014

641.6374dc23

2013042029

Print book design by Laura Palese

Digital book design by Jessica Arnold

v1.0215

Acknowledgments

Making chocolates for a living is hard work. It sounds wonderful, and it is, but to produce some of the best truffles, bonbons, and other chocolate treats on the planet requires constant vigilance. Writing this book drew on much of the same discipline and talentand it was not a solo effort. I have many to thank.

First, I want to thank my small, tight-knit family in Denmark. My mother and father, Inger-lise Hoyer and Tito Knipschildt, as well as my two sisters, Charlotte and Jeanett. They have always believed in me and their support has seen me through so much. Jeanett, who is a brilliant graphic designer, helped me with early designs for Chocopologie and Knipschildt Chocolates packaging and logos, and continues to consult with me today, whenever and wherever I need her. I also want to thank my brother-in-law, Lars H. Joergensen, for branding support.

Thanks to my editor at HMH, Stephanie Fletcher, for seeing the book to publication. I also am grateful to my agent, Doe Coover, and my cowriter, Mary Goodbody, for their always professional and cheerful help.

A big thanks to Signe Birck for her stunning photographs. She caught the essence of the food and my style perfectly. Thanks, too, to the chefs and chocolate team who helped me test recipes and then prepare the food for the camera.

And finally, thank you to my loyal customers who make Chocopologie and Knipschildt Chocolates a reality.

Foreword

As the editor of Chocolatier magazine for many years, I had the opportunity to taste chocolates and confections from a variety of new companies and artisans just about every day. Despite this, I can still vividly recall the day a box of Knipschildt chocolates arrived on my desk. I couldnt pronounce the name, but when I opened that handsome paper box, my interest was certainly aroused. The glossy chocolates looked and smelled as if they had been made that morning, and each variety sounded fresh and exciting. Caramel Sea Salt? Yes, please. Raspberry Black Pepper? Ooh, why not? These flavors might sound commonplace today, but twelve years ago they were thrillingly original. America was at the dawn of a great artisanal chocolate awakening, and Fritz Knipschildt was right there, conjuring up creative flavor combinations and presenting them uniquely and elegantly.

Ive always been struck by Fritzs enthusiasm for chocolate making. He gets quite excited when hes talking about his latest venture (and, with his strong Danish accent, its not always easy to grasp every word he says. But his passion is unmistakable). Hes a true chocolatier who relies on his instincts as a chef to know how far he can push the bounds of creativity to make chocolates with innovative, harmonious flavors.

A few years ago, Fritz competed against Bobby Flay in an episode of the Food Network show Throwdown featuring chocolate, and I happened to be one of the judges. Fritz approached the culinary battle with the same seriousness and fervor he brings to his business every day. It was a real pleasure to see him in action: his quick, precise movements and purposeful demeanor working toward his final vision of an elaborate chocolate showpiece. Needless to say, Fritz won the throwdown that day, as well as my lifelong respect and admiration.

The recipes in this book are a reflection of this dedication and passion for chocolate. They are accessible and fun, designed specifically for the home cook, so the process of making them is bound to give you almost as much pleasure as eating the results. Still, if you havent yet had the experience of tasting a Knipschildt or Chocopologie chocolate, make it a point to seek out a box and decide which flavor you like best. For me, its still that Caramel Sea Salt.

Tish Boyle, author, The Cake Book

Introduction

it wasnt until i was sixteen years old and apprenticing in a local restaurant that I tasted good chocolate. I bit into a piece of Valrhona, the famed French brand, and although I didnt know it at the time, my lifes course was set.

What I did know was that this morsel was beyond good. The premium chocolate was nothing like the overly sweet and crumbly chocolate bars we snacked on after school or at football games. Dark and fruity with a smooth, almost elusive texture, this chocolate melted in your mouth even as it stood up to your taste buds.

Good chocolate appeals to all the senses and if the brand you are eating or cooking with does not excite your taste, smell, touch, sight, and even hearing, switch brands. Taste and smell are obvious; the chocolate should also feel firm and supple, look glossy and smooth, and emit a pleasing snap when you break it or bite into it.