I first learned of Claire Saffitz, as many others did, through her Gourmet Makes series for Bon Appétit. As a fellow baker and lover of experiments and challenges, I was captivated by her ambitious projects, resourcefulness, and all-too-relatable disappointments when things didn’t turn out. When she released Dessert Person in 2020, I had to buy it!

This book is full of beautiful full-page pictures. Though it’s titled Dessert Person, it contains a versatile collection of sweet and savory recipes, along with foundational recipes for components like pie crust, crumble topping, and pastry cream.

I especially love the Recipe Matrix at the beginning of the book that charts all the recipes by difficulty and total time – what a cool way to visualize which recipes would be a good fit for any situation!