David Lebovitz loves fruit. From the richness of a summer blackberry to the mellow sweetness of a juicy mango, fruit inspires and delights this celebrated pastry chef. In Ripe for Dessert,David shares his passion for fruit and his treasure trove of inspired, innovative, and luscious dessert recipes.

These sweets celebrate fruit in all its diverse glory, as David's intensely flavorful and imaginative recipes show off the best of every season and reward every dessert lover's fancy. The seven chapters, with more than 130 recipes in all, are organized by category, with an eye to the seasons. They feature apples, pears, and quince from the fall harvest; citrus and dried fruits from winter; stone fruits and berries for the height of summer; figs and melon for its waning days; and David's signature tropical fruits desserts, which will surprise and delight your sweet tooth year round.

Such light, elegant dishes as Pomegranate Granita and golden Honey-Poached Pears let the fruits' flavors shine, with minimal fuss or adornment. But David is no spartan. His recipes go all out, with rich cakes and creamy custards, pastries, frozen desserts, and souffland#201;s, accented and enlivened by complex fruit flavors. A luxurious Lemon-Ginger Crand#200;me Brand#219;land#201;e puts a tart, fruity twist on a classic sweet, while a Candied Orange and Rosy Rhubarb Sauce raises a perfect, anise-scented Ricotta Cake to a new level of sophistication. For chocolate lovers, David presents pairings that will surprise and satisfy, including Anise-Orange Ice Cream Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce, Pear and Fig Chutney with Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse, and a Chocolate Souffland#201; Cake with Prunes, Cranberries, and Kumquats in Port. David even offers a fabulous, thirst-quenching Gingery Lemonade.

With Ripe for Dessert'sbounty of easy, user-friendly recipes, you can transform your favorite fruits of every season into dishes that will impress and delight all the dessert lovers in your life.

A former pastry chef at Berkeley's famed Chez Panisse restaurant, Lebovitz is renowned for his easy-to-prepare yet spectacular desserts, and his devotion to seasonal ingredients. This enticing collection of more than 100 recipes is both varied and distinctive. Full color.

Author of the highly praised cookbook Room for Dessert, David Lebovitz was a pastry cook at Alice Waters's famed Chez Panisse restaurant for twelve years. Named one of the "Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Bay Area" by the San Francisco Chronicle, and nominated for an IACP/Kitchen Aid Award for Room for Dessert, David has been featured in such national publications as Bon Appétit, the New York Times, People, and Gourmet.