In this magnificent volume, the second in the <I>Grand Livre de Cuisine</I> series, celebrated chefs Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert comprehensively cover the art of making desserts, pastries, candy, and other sweets. Everything is here— mousses and fondants; cookies and cakes; ice creams and sorbets; bonbons and nougats; fruit tarts, profiteroles, and sweet crèpes. <BR><BR>The book's 250 mouth-watering recipes range from traditional treats such as peach melba, candied apples, and <I>oeufs à la neige</I> to audacious concoctions such as tropical fruit– stuffed ravioli and coconut-encrusted lollipops. Decidedly French yet international in flavor, the book presents the authors' masterful takes on American cheesecake; Italian cannolis, zuppa inglese, and tiramisù; and the Austrian confections known as viennoiseries. <BR><BR>Organized by main ingredient, the <I>Grand Livre</I>'s structure epitomizes Ducasse's philosophy of cooking and baking, which holds that culinary techniques should accentuate and enhance an ingredient's true nature—<I>not</I> mask it. The book features more than 650 color photographs, including a full-page, close-up photo of each finished dish. Cross-sectional drawings clearly display the internal “architecture” of some of the more complex creations. In this magnificent volume, the second in the <I>Grand Livre de Cuisine</I> series, celebrated chefs Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert comprehensively cover the art of making desserts, pastries, candy, and other sweets. Everything is here— mousses and fondants; cookies and cakes; ice creams and sorbets; bonbons and nougats; fruit tarts, profiteroles, and sweet crèpes. <BR><BR>The book's 250 mouth-watering recipes range from traditional treats such as peach melba, candied apples, and <I>oeufs à la neige</I> to audacious concoctions such as tropical fruit– stuffed ravioli and coconut-encrusted lollipops. Decidedly French yet international in flavor, the book presents the authors' masterful takes on American cheesecake; Italian cannolis, zuppa inglese, and tiramisù; and the Austrian confections known as viennoiseries. <BR><BR>Organized by main ingredient, the <I>Grand Livre</I>'s structure epitomizes Ducasse's philosophy of cooking and baking, which holds that culinary techniques should accentuate and enhance an ingredient's true nature—<I>not</I> mask it. The book features more than 650 color photographs, including a full-page, close-up photo of each finished dish. Cross-sectional drawings clearly display the internal “architecture” of some of the more complex creations.