Fran Gage calls sugar, almonds, eggs, and butter 'the DNA of desserts.' Simple as they seem, they make possible a profusion of pastries and other sweets, from the elemental lollipop to the ethereal realms where marzipan, meringue, and puff pastry hold sway.

In A Sweet Quartet, Gage tells the story of each ingredient, from its origins to its transformation into culinary gold, drawing upon her travels, tastings, experiments, and remembrances. She crowns each section with a baker's half-dozen of recipes that show off the multiple talents of the ingredient.