LATEST COOKBOOKS BOOST YOUR DESSERT REPERTOIRE.

Byline: - Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Although many talk a good low-fat game these days, there are those who still want the real rich and sinful things - butter, cream, eggs, chocolate, etc. - when it comes to baking and more specifically desserts. Some are still cooking up a fat and sugar storm, and tomes about desserts and all kinds of baking continue to crowd bookstore shelves.

``Our demand (for baking books) is probably four to five times what it was five years ago,'' noted Nach Waxman, owner of Kitchen Arts and Letters in New York, a store that deals in books about food and wine - and is a favorite with food professionals. ``It started a couple of years ago. And I think what it's showing is that the whole interest in baking is growing. ... The publishers aren't publishing the books fast enough to keep up with the demand.''

Restaurants and caterers used to buy baked goods from outside sources. But these days, many are doing it themselves, Waxman says. And where the professionals go, the rest of us tend to follow.

``People have discovered (baking) is a very gratifying activity. It's fun. And you draw lots of oohs and aahs.''

So, are you ready to try something new? Following is a rundown of selected books from the latest crop that might tickle your fancy for Valentine's Day goodies and beyond. Many would make a good gift for those sweethearts who love to create desserts. And you might even get to taste the results.

``The Pie and Pastry Bible'' by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Scribner; $35).

From all reports, Beranbaum is a woman obsessed. Obsessed by detail, by precision, by every crinkle and fold in baking. Her earlier books, particularly the award-winning ``The Cake Bible,'' are so detailed, they make Escoffier look like Cliff's Notes. ``The Pie and Pastry Bible'' is no exception. There are 21 pages of instruction before you even get to the recipe for Flaky Pie Crust - and then it's four and a half pages long. Her ingredients are given in chart-like tables, with each one broken into common measurements, ounces and grams.

The whole thing is overwhelming, until you get to the section of color photographs. Page upon page of perfect pies and glistening tarts. OK, Rose - if this is the result, maybe it's worth it. You be the judge.

``Sunday Best Baking: Over a Century of Secrets From the White Lily Kitchen'' (Longstreet; $18.95).

White Lily Flour is revered in the South for its delicate baking qualities, and now the White Lily Foods Co. has compiled more than 100 tried and true recipes from its test kitchen in Tennessee to delight cooks across the country. Among the favorites included - White Lily Biscuits, Red Velvet Cake, Raspberry Almond Torte, Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies - and more.

If you've never tried White Lily Flour, you can mail order it by calling [phone], or writing to White Lily Foods, P.O. Box 871, Knoxville, Tenn. 37907, or through the Web at www.whitelily.com.

``Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers'' by Nick Malgieri (HarperCollins; $40).

Malgieri, director of the baking department at Peter Kump's Cooking School in New York, traveled from southern France to British Columbia in his quest for the 300 recipes in this volume.

Recipes range from simple to complex and include cakes, cookies, confections, sauces, beverages and showpieces and decorating projects. When cooking with chocolate, Malgieri advises using the chocolate that tastes best to you. ``Chocolate should be smooth, not grainy on the tongue and palate and should melt easily,'' he writes.

``Charlie Trotter's Desserts'' by Charlie Trotter and Michelle Gayer (Ten Speed Press; $50).

In this volume, Chicago restaurant owner Charlie Trotter and his pastry chef, Michelle Gayer, have collaborated to produce 150 desserts to dazzle the palate.

Many are visual stunners, as you'll see in the color photographs. Some of the desserts are more appealing than others, but most seem too complicated for home cooks. Several require two, three or four other recipes on different pages of the book to complete. Dessert at the Charlie Trotter's restaurant in Chicago may be the easiest route to take if you want to sample his finales.

``Pillsbury Best Desserts'' by The Pillsbury Company (Clarkson Potter; $24.95).

The more than 350 recipes from the Pillsbury test kitchens are definitely doable for home cooks and run the gamut from cakes, pies and tarts to frozen and refrigerated desserts and cookies, bars and brownies.

There's even a chapter of Bake-Off desserts. Some are more labor intensive than others, but many sound delicious and tempting. Color photographs are sprinkled throughout and many of the desserts look good enough to eat right off the page.

``All About Chocolate: The Ultimate Resource for the World's Favorite Food'' by Carole Bloom (Macmillan; $17 paperback).

This is much more than a cookbook - in fact it includes only 25 of the author's favorite recipes. Rather it includes a chocolate lexicon of terms relating to chocolate; chocolate lore; chocolate tasting information; chocolate museums, attractions and factory tours; chocolate festivals, events and trade shows; chocolate schools, sources for chocolate, equipment, tools and utensils and much more.

For chocolate lovers, this makes for tasty reading.

``Gourmet's Sweets: Desserts for Every Occasion'' (Random House; $27.50).

Just like the magazine, the book is dedicated to ``the fine art of splurging.'' And they don't just mean calories - the recipes use so many exotic ingredients, there are ordering notes throughout the book.

Regular Gourmet readers know to expect pretty pictures, complex dishes and unusual flavors. Bittersweet Chocolate Torte With Armagnac Sabayon Cream, anyone?

``The Cupcake Cafe Cookbook'' by Ann Warren and Joan Lilly (Doubleday; $25).

As warm as a gingham curtain in a sunny window, this charmer mostly features house specialties from the popular New York bakery: doughnuts, muffins, coffee cakes and pies. But the best part is a fascinating section in the back on cake decorating. Here's your chance to turn butter cream into roses, peonies, hydrangeas and poinsettias.

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