Book excerpt: Baking for Special Diets teaches readers how to widen the scope of their offerings and create flavorful recipes to meet all kinds of dietary needs. This text explains the wide range of dietary challenges of which pastry chefs and bakers should be conscious, including celiac disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kosher diets, and more. Introductory chapters cover general nutrition information, ingredient substitutions. The text also explains through examples how to convert your own recipes to meet the needs of a particular customer. Subsequent chapters provide recipes for a wide range of dietary concerns, from vegetarian, vegan, and low-fat baked goods to delectable desserts that are gluten-, lactose-, or sugar-free. From Low-Fat Vanilla Mousse and Reduced-Calorie Linzer Cookies to Sugar-Free Crème Caramel and Vegan Boston Cream Pie, Baking for Special Diets provides chefs with an arsenal of recipes that are healthy, versatile, and always delicious.