Pierre Hermé Pastries (Revised Edition)

Book excerpt: After divulging the intriguing histories behind fifty iconic desserts, master pastry chef Pierre Hermé shares his tried-and-tested recipes for the great classics of French pastry and other definitive desserts from around the world-and then he reveals how to reinvent them. Rose-scented almond paste and a compote of raspberries and lychees fill Hermé's croissants; his Saint Honoré cake combines green tea, chestnuts, and passion fruit; and caramelized mango adorns his foie gras crème brûlée. The luscious photographs and 100 recipes featured in Pierre Hermé Pastries flaunt Hermé's mastery of technique and the talent for combining textures and flavors that have earned him the reputation as one of the world's most skilled and inventive pastry chefs.