Most of us don’t have the time to make dessert, and when we do, it is for holidays, birthdays, or a special brunch. Here, selected from his personal repertoire of five thousand recipes, are the eighty best desserts Bill Yosses has ever made, each tailored to our contemporary lives.

The Perfect Finish is playfully organized by occasion: “I’ll Bring Dessert” features recipes easy to pack for potlucks; “Straight from the Oven” includes fruit pies best served warm; and “Pick-Me-Ups” spotlights brownies and chocolate chip cookies that will brighten your day. For the adventurous, Bill groups his guaranteed-to-impress desserts—including his signature warm vanilla cake—in a chapter inspired from his days in one of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, Bouley. Bill also demonstrates technique and unfamiliar ingredients and explains how to store and transport desserts. This is a book for every taste and every experience level, with color pictures of nearly all the beautiful finished desserts.