Nick Malgieri teaches bakers the hows and whys of pastry through basic techniques, from handling dough to poaching fruit, from piping meringue to caramelizing sugar. After outlining the proper equipment and basic ingredients, the book teaches readers to create a basic cream puff pastry, flaky doughs, sweet doughs, and cookie doughs. Step-by-step instructions are accompanied by photographs or line drawings for added clarity.Among the more than 200 recipes are Triple Orange Cake, Peach and Raspberry Cobbler, and Cranberry Pecan Pie, plus fondants, creams, caramels, glazes, syrups, and sauces for finishing and a chapter on decoration. Nick Malgieri's Perfect Pastry is the faithful companion to novice and advanced bakers alike.