Drawing on years of professional experience as well as memories of cooking and baking from her New York childhood, award-winning pastry chef Karen Barker gives us the benefit of cooking alongside an experienced mentor. Starting with the fundamentals, she offers practical advice on selecting key ingredients, suggestions for essential kitchen equipment, secrets for success, and tips on ways to fit dessert-making into the busiest of schedules. The recipes include familiar favorites with a twist, such as key lime coconut pie with rum cream, deep-dish brown sugar plum cobbler, dark chocolate Peppermint Pattie cake, and cornmeal vanilla bean shortbreads.