Le Jardin Sucré: A Gourmet Walk Through the Seasons - Premium French Pastry Cookbook for Home Bakers | Perfect for Holiday Baking, Dinner Parties & Gift Giving

Self-taught pastry chefs Mélanie and Arnaud Mathez emphasize seasonal, often local, produce in their creations, an approach which has allowed them to expand from a pair of small shops in the Paris exurbs to a third location not far from the Arc de Triomphe.

They write of their pleasure in “frank flavors,” and that is certainly apparent in the likes of macarons flavored with lemon and Timur berries, which have a zingy grapefruit note. Their individual peach tarts get a boost from a thyme variety called linalool, known for its floral notes. They soup up an autumnal carrot cake with white chocolate-cream cheese frosting. Mango sorbet appears on a mound of roasted corn seasoned with piment d’Esplette.

The book is divided into four chapters, one for each season. The finished dishes are typically composed of multiple, separately prepared elements, common enough for books from professional pastry shops.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout. In French.