Long before award-winning chef Michel Richardmade his first côte de boeuf or prepared hisfirst foie gras terrine, he was a pastry chef. InLos Angeles, pastry lovers lined up outside his bakeshopon Wilshire Boulevard, waiting to enjoy the breadsand treats they’d heard were the best in town, maybeeven better than anything in Paris. Now, in this outstandingcollection, the superstar chef returns to hisfirst love, the food that made him famous—desserts.

Here are mouthwatering, foolproof recipes forAmerican favorites such as pecan pie and poundcake; Richard’s personal inventions, such as FloatingIslands with Melted Chocolate Morsels and the “coffeecloud”; reinvented French classics, such as profiterolesand the Christmas log (bûche de Noël); fruitfavorites, including tarts and Pavlovas; and, of course,plenty of cookies.

Going beyond traditional cookbooks, Sweet Magicshares Richard’s insights into the thinking and craftbehind every aspect of dessert, with brief essaysthat explore, explain, and entice—highlighted by thechef’s own playful illustrations.

Creating exquisite dishes with only a few simpleingredients—butter, eggs, sugar, flour, chocolate—demands the instincts of an artist and the soul of amagician. Sweet Magic will unlock the inner dessertwizard in every home chef, guiding both newcomersand old hands past common missteps, to seduce themost flavor and texture from every ingredient.

Peter Kaminsky