Raised in a large, working-class family in rural France, Dominique Ansel could not afford college and instead became a baker's apprentice at age 16. There, he learned the basics, and now he is sometimes called the world's best pastry chef. In his belief that we can all be better bakers, Ansel shares these recipes with easy-to-follow instructions and kitchen tips, so that home cooks can master the building-blocks of desserts. Along with recipes for Rosemary-Infused Chocolate Brownies, Earl Grey Italian Meringue, and a profusion of cakes, custards, and shortbreads, here are Ansel's pointers on how to adapt, so that a vanilla tart shell can be turned into cookies, or even crumbled into a topping for ice cream.