Publisher's Weekly Review

Rucker, owner of L.A.'s Fiona bakery, shares her obsession with fruit in this delightful debut collection. She begins with a chapter on "How to Choose Fruit," which includes charts on which fruits will ripen after picking and which won't. From there she dives into recipes, starting with breakfast and brunch option: scones, coffee cakes, and doughnuts are interspersed with inventive morning selections such as "Fruit Soup" (a blend of dried apricots, figs, apples, raisins, and currants in tapioca) and multigrain pancakes with peaches. Not surprisingly, desserts dominate and feature cakes, ice cream, pies, and puddings, including a stunning vanilla rice pudding with Marsala baked pears, which is an homage to one she ate in college. She also suggests a boiled maple '"pumpkin" pie, which is a kabocha squash twist on the Thanksgiving classic. She closes the volume with "Pantry Recipes," featuring a recipe for flaky butter crust (there's also a whole wheat crust option), ricotta biscuits, and brioche dough. Festive recipes and enticing photos make this a top pick for home bakers eager to indulge in fruit. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.