Making Chocolate ─ From Bean to Bar to S'mores

One of the country's most celebrated craft chocolate makers explains how to make chocolate from scratch in your own kitchen. From sourcing beans to the mechanics and machinery of making bars, this is the first ever guide to making chocolate from start to finish, with 30 recipes for desserts and treats.


Founded in 2011 as a quirky passion project by two friends from the San Francisco tech world, Dandelion Chocolate has grown to become one of the most admired leaders in craft chocolate--a growing movement akin to that of craft coffee. Making chocolate out of only two ingredients--cacao beans and sugar--Dandelion dives deep into all the aspects of the process, from bean sourcing, fermentation, and drying to roasting and all the way to the final, gold-wrapped bar. This book is the complete story of the purest, most intensely flavored chocolate, including how to make it yourself (in both quick-start and deep-dive versions), the details of sourcing and processing, and instructions on baking with these unique, precious treats.

TODD MASONIS is the cofounder and CEO of Dandelion Chocolate.
GREG D'ALESANDRE is Dandelion Chocolate's vice president of research and development and Chocolate Sourcerer.
LISA VEGA is the executive pastry chef of Dandelion Chocolate.
MOLLY GORE is a food writer, erstwhile restaurant critic, and the Dandelion Chocolate communications manager.