Sweet Times: Simple Desserts for Every Occasion

New York City patissier and food writer Greenspan can step into the Sugar Plum Fairy's shoes with this generously detailed collection of dessert recipes, all so clear and complete that the author's hortatory presence would seem to hover in the kitchen of even a novice. Offerings are grouped according to the ``time and day and mood'' each suits: ``Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch Mates: Sweets to Get You Through the Day''; ``Comfort on a Spoon: Sweets to Snuggle up With,'' etc. Every recipe is followed by notes on serving, storing, how to make the ``best match'' (menu suggestions),stet and ``playing around'' (variations and tips on alternate presentations). Egalitarian in her acclaim for shortcuts, Greenspan invokes such supermarket conveniences as frozen puff pastry (used in her quick prune pithiviers, for example) and canned pumpkin puree (banana-pumpkin pie). Cooks with an eye on the clock will be tantalized by ``apple paper thins'' (a ``pizza of buttery, sugary apples'') and the elegant chocolate-Amaretti torte known as ``15-minute magic.'' Illustrations not seen by PW. Better Homes & Gardens Book Club main selection; first serial to Family Circle. (Mar.)