Desserts by the Yard

From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills, Recipes from the Sweetest Life Ever

by Sherry Yard

From the simple to the decadent, dessert guru and Spago executive pastry chef Sherry Yard proves yet again that there isn’t anything you can’t do with a bit of sugar and a lot of imagination. Her newest book, Desserts by the Yard, is a memoir as well as a cookbook, as it chronicles her life as a pastry chef from New York to San Francisco to Los Angeles and all the recipes in between. The book offers a hodge-podge of Yard’s most memorable confections—desserts such as the “grown-up” Rainbow Cookies inspired by her childhood are offered alongside classic Spago treats such as Raspberry Soufflé. 

Desserts by the Yard presents a range of simple dishes, such as the easy Café Glacé, to extremely complicated creations, such as the Six-Layer Dobos Tortes created for the 76th Oscars. Overall, the book tends toward the more experienced cook, one who has mastered pastry basics. But with a little practice, patience and help from “Sherry’s Secrets,” it won’t be long before you can duplicate some of these extraordinary sweets from America’s sweetest chef.

Reviewed by Nancy Huang

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