The philosophy behind Rodale"s New Classics series is "keeping your life simple." So where does a volume called Decadent Desserts fit in? Anne Egan achieves the impossible by showing us how to make impressive, truly decadent desserts with minimal fuss. The key, she points out, is to use the best-quality ingredients, and to remember that decadent desserts should be thought of as treats, so don"t worry about the butter, cream, and sugar. But she"s working with a handicap, because every recipe is followed by a nutritional breakdown, which, as you can imagine, is not always pretty. So while the Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheesecake is tempting with its rich, buttery batter swirled with a tangy cream cheese filling and a cinnamon crumb topping, it has 409 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving, so we"ll probably go for the Orange Poppy Seed Cake on the facing page (which is light and tender, just as delicious, and only 8 grams of fat per serving). Recipes are well written, never more than a page long, and can be followed easily without confusion. Full-page color photos entice us to try elegant twists such as Phyllo Lemon Meringue Pie, Delicate Pear Tart, and Peach Clafouti and more-traditional favorites such as Simple Chocolate Pudding, Hearty Rice Pudding, and Pumpkin Pie. --Leora Y. Bloom