A picture-perfect baked ricotta, orange blossom and date pie

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Three years ago, Phoebe Wood found herself in desperate need of change. “I had quit my job, packed up my life and travelled to a city that I had never been to and where I barely knew a soul.” Wandering the streets of New York City, she discovered a deep affection for pie and its special place in American culture that was miles away from the savory Aussie hand pies she had grown up with.

Wood eventually returned home — 22 pounds heavier — to her native Sydney, Australia, where she devoted herself to her pie pursuits. With food stylist and recipe writer Kirsten Jenkins, Wood wrote “The Pie Project,” a collection of 60 different recipes that will satisfy every sweet tooth imaginable. The book offers up desserts you’ve never heard of, like this baked ricotta pie infused with orange blossom and dates that is inspired by Middle Eastern ingredients and flavors.

Beginning bakers needn’t be intimidated by the pretty pictures because “The Pie Project” is all about “experimentation, appreciation and enjoyment,” Wood and Jenkins write. “No matter how many times you make a pie, it is always different.” I’ll have another slice of that.