"Genius Desserts is the book that will transform the way you bake--with just the right answers for every moment that needs a sweet (so, pretty much every moment). When you're not a baker but you need the birthday cake. When you've tried every chocolate mousse but haven't found one that sticks. When you're short on time and want your efforts in the kitchen to count. Drawing from her James Beard Award-nominated column, Genius Recipes, and powered by the cooking wisdom and generosity of the Food52 community, creative director Kirsten Miglore set out to unearth the most game-changing dessert recipes from beloved cookbook authors, chefs, and bakers--and collect them all in one indispensable guide. This led her to iconic desserts spanning the last century: Maida Heatter's East 62nd Street Lemon Cake, Francois Payard's Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies, and Nancy Silverton's Butterscotch Budino. But it also turned up little-known gems: a comforting Peach Cobbler with Hot Sugar Crust from Renee Erickson and the imaginative Parsnip Cake with Blood Orange Buttercream from Lucky Peach, along with genius tips, riffs, and mini-recipes, and the lively stories behind each one. The genius of this collection is that Kirsten has scouted out and rigorously tested recipes from the most trusted dessert experts, finding more than 100 of their standouts. Each recipe shines in a different way and teaches you something new, whether it's how to use unconventional ingredients (Sunset's whole orange cake), how to make the most brilliant methods (roasted sugar from Stella Parks), or how to embrace stunning simplicity (Dorie Greenspan's three-ingredient cookies). With photographer James Ransom's riveting images throughout, Genius Desserts is destined to become every baker's go-to reference for the very best desserts from the smartest teachers of our time--for all the dinner parties, potlucks, bake sales, and late-night snacks in between." -- Inside cover.