"A French pastry master" reveals his recipes and secrets in this dessert cookbook for both professional chefs and home bakers (Daniel Boulud, James Beard Award-winning chef).With beautiful photographs, this book from legendary pastry chef François Payard shows how to prepare pastry and other plated desserts that rival the best in the world.These recipes have been developed and perfected by Payard over twenty years, from his early days as a pastry chef in France to his current position as an American culinary icon. Each recipe is a singular work of art, combining thrilling and often surprising flavors with innovative, modern techniques to create masterpieces like Blueberry Pavlova with Warm Blueberry Coulis, Olive Oil Macaron with Olive Oil Sorbet, Dark Chocolate Soufflé with Pistachio Ice Cream, and Caramelized Pineapple-Pecan Tart with Brown Butter Ice Cream.Payard also includes priceless advice on choosing ingredients and equipment and composing perfectly plated desserts, as well as personal anecdotes from his long career working in many of the world's finest pastry kitchens. A must-have for professional bakers, it's also accessible enough for serious home baking enthusiasts.