The Art of French Pastry, by Jacquy Pfeiffer

The cofounder of Chicago’s French Pastry School and an award-winning pastry chef, Jacquy Pfeiffer uses his book as a master class to teach you how to make everything from pâte à choux to pastry cream, building on the basics until you have an understanding of the science behind the ingredients, how they interact, and what your hands have to do to transform them into pastry. Once you’ve mastered the techniques, enjoy the glorious results you’ll achieve with these classic recipes.