Amazon.com (ISBN 0836250753, Hardcover)

There is no better way to impress a houseguest than with a dessert by Maida Heatter. While this is not a cookbook for beginners (some of the recipes run three pages in length), those who venture forth to try Heatter's masterpieces will not be disappointed. The Queen of Desserts, as she has been called for decades, has included handy cooking basics, from the best way to wash blueberries to how to tell if you really have a pint of strawberries (it will actually measure a quart and will weigh a pound). Her recipes are the stuff of heaven: Savannah Banana Pie with Macaroon Crust, Coffee and Cognac Cream Pie, Pear and Almond Tart, and Washington State Cherry Cobbler. Heatter's recipes, while on the longish side, are simple to follow. You'll pick up tips for making pies perfect and learn the difference between a buckle, a crisp, a cobbler, a crumble, and a betty. The book goes beyond tarts and pies to include other desserts such as bread puddings, flans, soufflés, ices, sorbets, and mousses.