When I received this book, I hugged it. I owe an extraordinary debt of gratitude to Joanne Chang. Her books have guided me through multiple baking exploits.

To uninformed first-timers, she is a James Beard award-winning baker best known for her eight acclaimed Flour bakeries in Boston. Chang has published two books based on the offerings at Flour, such as her famous sticky buns, but Pastry Love is her most personal and comprehensive book yet.

It includes 125 dessert recipes for many things she could never serve in the setting of a bakery—for example, items that are best served warm or with whipped cream on top. Nothing makes Chang happier than baking and sharing treats with others, and that passion comes through in every recipe, such as Strawberry Slab Pie, Mocha Chip Cookies, and Malted Chocolate Cake. The recipes start off easy such as Lemon Sugar Cookies and build up to showstoppers like Passion Fruit Crepe Cake.

Joanne Chang is a gifted raconteuse. She revels in the details. Her books are disciplined and have a necessary efficiency. She is unashamed in her pursuit of baking excellence.

Pastry Love includes master lessons and essential techniques for making pastry cream, lemon curd, puff pastry, and more, all of which make this book a must-have for beginners and expert home bakers alike. (more…)