Whether your taste was for fiddlestix or Flavour Ravers, Trigger bars or Two and Twos, Marathons or macaroons, Peggy's Legs or Push Pops, Liquorice Allsorts or Little Devils, You'll Ruin Your Dinner has something for you. From the heyday of Cleeve's toffee to the birth of the Tayto Cheese & Onion crisp, it transports us back to the days when sweet shop windows across the country boasted tempting confectionery displays, when summer was heralded with a visit from the ice-cream cart, and when Grafton Street was the sweet shop capital of Ireland. And then there was the golden age of Irish-made sweets, when the entire nation downed tools to listen to Fry-Cadbury's soap The Kennedys of Castleross and Gay Byrne cut his teeth on The Urney Programme. The next three decades brought enduring favourites along with fleeting fads, but the craving for a sugar-rush remained steadfast for generations of Irish kids to come. These mouth-watering memories are captured here across the decades in an assortment that will keep you dipping back in for more - and it won't ruin your dinner.

Pastry chef David Lebovitz is known for creating desserts with bold and high-impact flavor, not fussy, complicated presentations. Lucky for us, this translates into showstopping sweets that bakers of all skill levels can master. In Ready for Dessert, elegant finales such as Gâteau Victoire, Black Currant Tea Crème Brûlée, and Anise-Orange Ice Cream Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce are as easy to prepare as comfort foods such as Plum-Blueberry Upside-Down Cake, Creamy Rice Pudding, and Cheesecake Brownies. With his unique brand of humor—and a fondness for desserts with “screaming chocolate intensity”—David serves up a tantalizing array of more than 170 recipes for cakes, pies, tarts, crisps, cobblers, custards, soufflés, puddings, ice creams, sherbets, sorbets, cookies, candies, dessert sauces, fruit preserves, and even homemade liqueurs. David reveals his three favorites: a deeply spiced Fresh Ginger Cake; the bracing and beautiful Champagne Gelée with Kumquats, Grapefruits, and Blood Oranges; and his chunky and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. His trademark friendly guidance, as well as suggestions, storage advice, flavor variations, and tips will help ensure success every time. Accompanied with stunning photos by award-winning photographer Maren Caruso, this new compilation of David’s best recipes to date will inspire you to pull out your sugar bin and get baking or churn up a batch of homemade ice cream. So if you’re ready for dessert (and who isn’t?), you’ll be happy to have this collection of sweet indulgences on your kitchen shelf—and your guests will be overjoyed, too.