Desserts to Die for

By the prize-winning author of Death by Chocolate

Be warned: this is a book about extravagantly opulent, irresistibly mouthwatering, deliciously soul-satisfying, sometimes ethereal, at other times delightfully dense desserts. It is a book about delectable excesses and sensational pleasures.

Author Marcel Desaulniers is the prize-winning executive chef of the Trellis Restaurant and creator of the best-selling Death by Chocolate and The Burger Meisters, both of which won the coveted James Beard Award. As he writes here: "This book is not for the faint of heart. It is for anyone who loves the occasional indulgence....If sharing a piece of buttercream swathed cake seems like a sensual experience, this book is your next step toward paradise."

This is a book full of chocolate, mocha and pecans, gourmet sundaes and gourmet sorbets. The recipes range from the deliciously complex and ornate, like the Chocolate Voodoo Cake, to triumphantly reinvented, no-longer-ordinary old favorites such as fruit cake, jelly rolls, and sticky buns.

Just naming these unique creations is like reciting an honor roll of sinful delights: Mocha Almond Praline Snap, Chocolate Pecan Sour Mash Bash, Fallen Angel Cake with Golden Halos and Sinful Cream, Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Damnation. The recipes for these and other spellbinding desserts are now revealed in full color.

Marcel Desaulniers is as masterly a teacher as he is a chef. His books and television shows have been used and seen by millions. With his foolproof instructions, Desaulniers takes the home cook by the hand and, in step-by-step detail, shows how even the most extravagant of these desserts can easily be made at home.

Indulge in these pleasures and dive into their delights -- this is a book of exhilarating excess.