Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts

Devotees of desserts and of other Moosewood Collective books (Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites; Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd; etc.) will relish the more than 250 recipes here, many of which are served in the collective's Ithaca, N.Y., eatery. Some desserts are fruit-based and simple: Sauteed Apples; Ginger Pear Puffs; Apple Dumplings. Others are elegant, simple and suitable for parties and special events: Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake; Texas Italian Cream Cake with coconut and pecans; and Prune and Armagnac Cake. Calorie-watching cooks can savor trimmed-down treats such as Melon Midori Slush, Low-fat Sweet Potato Pudding, Fat-free Carrot Cake or Low-fat Blueberry Buttermilk Ice. Those uninterested in fat content can indulge in Greek Custard Pastry, Mocha Grappa Truffles and Chocolate Date Walnut Baklava. This reader-friendly volume offers tips on techniques and charts listing which desserts are easy-to-make, quickly prepared, good for a crowd, etc. There's a down to earth glossary of ingredients, and a list of desserts for vegans. (Oct.)