Peer into café cabinets and bakery counters around the country and, nestled amid the scones and slices, it’s no surprise to see vibrant purple ube bakes or matcha and mochi with everything. Such is the popularity of Asian flavours and fashions, they soon nudge their way into our Kiwi mainstream. In this book, classically trained pastry chef Clarice Lam scoops together her love of Asian flavours with techniques drawn from American, European and traditional Asian baking to create a riot of cultural crossovers. If you are new to all this, start off by adding a new ingredient to a comfortable classic such as some matcha shortbread or miso caramel. Ease into lamingtons wrapped in chocolate mochi, or make cherry hand pies with the flaky spiral pastry usually used for curry puffs. My favourites are Cantonese-style mooncakes with marzipan and a whole fig replacing the salted duck egg yolks. There’s a section on bao, taking in everything from steamed and baked breads to deep-fried pockets and laminated parcels, from doughnuts to French toast. It’s when you reach the desserts section that it goes full ‘pastry chef’ with jaw-dropping, showstopping creations. Sometimes it all feels a bit Wonka-esque: ‘less is more’ is not getting a seat in this kitchen, it’s ‘more is more’ and then add more. As if an eight-layer honey cake sandwiched with yuzu curd wasn’t enough, Clarice goes a step further by smothering it in torched meringue bombe Alaska-style. How could you better an ube-hued chiffon roll slathered in whipped cream? Stuff it with a slab of coconut leche flan – why have one dessert when you can bring two or even three-in-one? I love the melting pot whirl of these whimsical and imaginative creations, even if I find some of them slightly peculiar. TRCAY WHITMEY