An indispensable addition to any serious home baker's library, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts covers the many skills an aspiring pastry chef must master. Based on the internationally lauded curriculum developed by master patissier, Jacques Torres, for New York's French Culinary Institute, the book presents chapters on every classic category of confection: tarts, cream puffs, puff pastry, creams and custards, breads and pastries, cakes and petits fours. Each chapter begins with an overview of the required techniques, followed by dozens of recipes - many the original creations of distinguished FCI graduates. Distilling ten years of trial and error in teaching students, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts is a comprehensive reference with hundreds of colour photographs, a wealth of insider tips and highly detailed information on tools and ingredients - quite simply the most valuable baking book you can own.