Critically acclaimed cookbook author Anne Bianchi teams up with her Tuscan cooking school partner, Sandra Lotti, for an enticing book of recipes from Italy's most creative gastronomic region. Desserts are the feature attraction, with tempting Tuscan specialities such as Fig Crepes, Chestnut Timbale, Pear Fritters with Rum Cream, and Apple and Frangipane Pie. Bianchi and Lotti reveal how to recreate the wonderful desserts that you thought could only be found in Italian bakeries or cafes-biscotti, gelati, tiramisu and many other traditional Tuscan treats. Beginning with the basics, the authors offer technical information on tools, sugars, liqueurs, yeast, how to beat egg whites, and how to whip cream. They follow with nine chapters full of mouth-watering recipes for Cookies; Cakes and Tarts, Fruit Desserts and Preserves; Ice Creams and Sorbets; Brittles, Fritters, and Crepes; Custards and Mousses; Sweet Breads; Pies and Pastries; and Traditional Holiday Desserts.To start off each chapter, Lotti, Bianchi, and their Tuscan friends muse over topical subjects in spirited essays that capture the essence of the region. Topics include Thinness, Italian Men and Their Mothers, The Definition of Art, and Carnival in Viareggio.With recipes and stories that indulge and delight, Dolci Toscani is a wonderful addition to any cooking library. Read Less