Hands up if dessert is your favourite meal of the day! Here are a selection of cookbooks that focus on one thing only and that is making decadent desserts for any occasion. BY ANGELA SMITH

Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery and Cafe by Joanne Chang (2010) is a title that encompasses all things dessert. It even has some vegan recipes as well, which makes it more appealing. If you're new to baking, then this book would fit you like a glove as it gives tips throughout on baking, how to use ingredients and measure properly. It's an all-in-one that you'll find very useful in your kitchen and at the end of the day, you'll be glad you picked it up because the recipes are scrumptious and sweet - just enough to satisfy anyone after a lazy afternoon dinner or a short and sweet brunch. Whether you're looking for homemade pop-tarts or something more decadent like Lemon Raspberry Cake, this book is for you. Another award winner, it was named one of the top 10 books of 2010 by National Public Radio.

Before becoming a cookbook author, Melissa Gray was a producer on the NPR series All Things Considered and obviously this book, All Cakes Considered (2011), is a play on the show's name. She spent an entire year testing out her recipes on her (very lucky) co-workers to get the best results for the book. As an untrained pastry chef, it's easier for Gray to explain things to those who are just learning to bake. She flawlessly introduces baking techniques such as creaming butter and beating the batter. Just because she is a fairly new pastry chef doesn't mean her recipes are anything to sniff at. They are delicious and well-made creations. From sour cream poundcake to sinful fried pies, Gray has hit a home run with her first cookbook. We can't wait for the follow-up!

Cutie Pies by Dani Cone (2011) is a sweet and savoury book containing tons of recipes for miniature desserts and appetizers. The ideas range from Banana-Blueberry pudding petit 5's to Spiced Plum Walnut Pie Jars. Each recipe sounds absolutely mouth-watering so you may not know where to begin and the best part is all the recipes are fairly easy to make and even easier to serve! The recipes are all one of a kind so you won't find them anywhere else - making this petite cookbook a valuable asset to any kitchen! Cone runs High 5 Pie in Seattle.

The domestic diva is back and whipping up some delicious cookie recipes that will make all your friends jealous of your baking abilities. In Martha Stewart Cookies by Martha Stewart (2008), Martha goes from traditional with Oatmeal Raisin cookies to divine with Lime Meltaways. As with everything she does, these recipes are by far some of the best we've ever tried. If you're a cookie monster and love to bake then this is one book you'll want to have on your shelf. It has 175 recipes and variations and is organised by textures such as Soft and Chewy and Chunky and Nutty.

Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's most charming pastry shop by Meg Ray (2011) is the most adorable book you'll ever see. The pages are cut in a design that gives the book a girlish feel, as if it were made to be looked at and paged through. And the cakes. Oh, they are simply divine. Whether it's the honey tea cake or the lemon, grapefruit and rose geranium macaroons, you won't be disappointed with the recipes you find within the pretty pages, which features more than 70 photos. Conde Nast has named the bakery as one of the Top 10 Pastry Shops in the World. (Beware though as the first edition had measurement errors but you can head to the publisher's website to download a correction sheet.)

Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice and Aguas Frescas by Fanny Gerson (2011) is a refreshing dessert book that will have you making cool and yummy treats all year long. Paletas are essentially a Mexican ice pop that just burst with flavour. The ingredients are unique and make for great frozen snacks. From coconut and spicy pineapple paletas to sour cream, cherry and tequila paletas, this book will leave you wanting more. Despite the fact that most of the recipes contain a good amount of sugar (which can be cut if needed) these pops and other icy treats are absolutely delish.

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