Book excerpt: With the best ingredients and a little practice, baking is just as easy as pie—and there's no better way to enjoy juicy, ripe fruit or a silky chocolate or lemon custard than with a delicious, flaky crust. And, when made from scratch, a pie or tart is a simple way to make any meal special. Williams-Sonoma Collection Pie & Tart offers more than 40 recipes that will inspire you to bake pies and tarts at any time throughout the year. Whether you want to serve an elegant pear tart at an autumn dinner party, need to satisfy a craving for a piece of old-fashioned banana cream pie, or are simply looking for a recipe that uses up an abundance of plums from your backyard tree, you will find plenty of irresistible ideas inside. In addition, a chapter devoted entirely to rustic tarts offers new ways to serve up some of your favorite seasonal fruits as simple and beautiful desserts. Beautiful, full-color photographs of each pie and tart make it easy to decide which one to prepare, and photographic side notes throughout explain key ingredients and techniques, making Pie & Tart much more than just a fine collection of recipes. A detailed basics section and glossary also help you to discover the pie- and tart-baking secrets that will assist you in making these well-loved desserts for many years to come. Old-fashioned apple pie, fresh fruit tart with pastry cream, billowy lemon meringue pie, or silky chocolate pie—These are just a few of the pies and tarts that hold places of honor among our all-time favorite desserts. Williams-Sonoma Collection Pie & Tart offers more than 40 easy-to-follow recipes that will inspire you to bake familiar classics as well as fresh new ideas. From exquisite crème brûlée tartlets to a luscious summer peach pie to an irresistibly sweet pineapple galette, you will find a pie or tart recipe inside perfectly suited for any occasion. This beautifully photographed, full-color recipe collection is certain to become an essential addition to your kitchen bookshelf.