Welcome to the pleasure dome! Desserts are all about pleasure – and what's life if there isn't pleasure?

Acclaimed chef Christine Manfield believes that desserts should appeal to all the senses. They should be utterly seductive, ethereal and delicious, with aesthetics that capture your imagination. Desserts must also be big on personality, which is why she has christened this collection Dessert Divas – they are dramatic showgirls!

In a sumptuously illustrated tribute to the desserts created at her Sydney restaurant Universal, Christine unveils the mystery, elegance, whimsy and fantasy behind such iconic desserts as Gaytime Goes Nuts, which stepped into the limelight in the finale of the 2012 season of MasterChef Australia. Her 'dessert divas' are designed to capture the four seasons, and to celebrate cheese and chocolate, ingredients people eternally lust after.

A good dessert takes you on a taste journey. Let Christine Manfield be your guide as she shares the techniques, craft and precision that go into her signature creations. Be inspired and let the seduction begin, then taste with pleasure.

Photography by Anson Smart