Sweet Alchemy Dessert Magic

Yigit Pura is a sugar fiend . . . and a pastry dynamo! His striking desserts have sparked excitement and devotion throughout his career, from the top pastry kitchens of New York and San Francisco to the winner's podium on Top Chef: Just Desserts. His sugar showcase is Tout Sweet Patisserie, his pâtisserie and dessert laboratory on San Francisco's Union Square.

Now, in Sweet Alchemy, Yigit shares his approach to pastry and his sweet formulas for the very first time. He demonstrates how fun and, in fact, simple it can be to combine straightforward basics into beautiful, multilayered desserts.

Each ingredient-driven chapter (sugar, flour, dairy, fruit, and chocolate) contains new twists on traditional recipes, such as Butterscotch Sauce, Sweet Almond Tart Dough, and Baked Berry Meringue Kisses. These playful sweets can be served on their own or combined into irresistible mélanges such as the Negroni Creamsicle, a composition of Citrus & Vanilla Bean Scented Panna Cotta, Grapefruit-Campari Gelee, and Ruby Red Grapefruit Supremes, or the Sexy Chocolate Coupe, a chocolate extravaganza that marries Dark Chocolate Cremeux to Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake.

This book brims with innovative recipes and classic techniques that will elevate your pastry game and bring you into Yigit's world. You will be inspired to create your own sweet alchemy.

Yigit Pura is a pastry chef and winner of Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts. His pastry shop Tout Sweet Pâtisserie is based in his hometown, San Francisco. Follow Yigit: @YigitPura and @ToutSweetSF.

Frankie Frankeny is a San Francisco-based food photographer. Her work for Chronicle Books includes Michael Chiarello's Live Fire, Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream Book, and Miette.