L'Art de la Pâtisserie
The Professional Pastry and Baking Program

Baking Theory, History and Science

The foundation for all the others, this course takes your deeply through the technology and science of the ingredients of pastry. You will learn the differences between American and European butterfat contents, the various types of flours and sugars, and how the interactions of ingredients affect the outcome. Students will immerse themselves in the noble history of French pastry, the development of palate, the hierarchy of a kitchen, the importance of attitude in a hectic pastry shop, and an exploration of the wide variety of settings where graduates can use their craft.

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Food Service Sanitation

Even the most creative chef must understand the properties of ingredients and how to serve and store them safely.  You will learn everything about sanitation, equipment, and food delivery.  This is a comprehensive immersion into all aspects of handling food.

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Bread Making and Breakfast Pastries

Many things occur when yeast, liquid and air meet.  The waft of your own bread permeates this course while you learn the chemical reactions when you proof and bake, make a levain, and learn the perils of overmixing and undermixing.  A broad range of breads from pain à la bière to sweet breads will be taught.  Different types of dough will be mastered – like sourdough, brioche, Danish, and croissant – to make Kugelhopf and other pastry.  

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Petits Fours and Mini Pastries

Learning to make these tiny masterpieces creates a platform for acquiring French kitchen terms and techniques.  The elements of petits fours – ganache, meringue, buttercream, citrus zest, pâte à choux and many more – will be taught along with how to display the final product on a beautiful mignardise plate.    

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Cakes and Tarts

Perfectly decorated cakes are not made, they are built.  You will learn all aspects of creating and decorating cakes and tarts, from doughs to fillings, and study the art of cake architecture.  When you are finished, you will be able to produce beautiful versions of classics like Mille Feuille, Paris Brest and Lemon Tart as well as the cutting-edge creations of recent pastry competitions.  Best of all, you will have the solid foundation necessary to invent your own. 

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Ice Cream and Sorbets

Your first task in this course is to learn a formula for making any flavor of ice cream and sorbet that is so good you will be able to open an ice cream shop.  Your skills will then be tested when you are asked to produce other frozen desserts like parfait, granité, ice cream cake, and bombes.       

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Plated Desserts

New presentations and elegant designs are the hallmarks of this course, which teaches simplified and cost-effective production methods while stressing the importance of the highest quality and freshest ingredients.  Students will prepare hot- and cold-plated desserts including crème brûlée, fruit soups, à la minute desserts, and more. 

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Wedding and Specialty Cakes

Creating specialty cakes is important business in the pastry world and in this course you will learn about color balance, design, piping, gum paste flowers, decorations, and assembly.  Efficient production methods are taught and students will use these techniques to produce their own designs. Artistic gum paste methods are taught to students using the methodology of Nicholas Lodge.

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Chocolate and Sugar Candies

Learn the practices of tempering, decorating, dipping and molding chocolate. Comprehend what determines its flavor and texture in order to create successful chocolate recipes. The history of chocolate and the fundamentals of sugar are fascinating subjects for the emerging pastry chef.  This course is taught using updated methods in traditional recipes.  You will prepare such delicacies as fondants, pralines, marzipans, nougatines, and elaborate chocolate candies and truffles.  Well-produced candy plates can turn a buffet into a stellar display that keeps chefs ahead of the competition.

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Chocolate and Sugar Decoration

Uses of chocolate, molds, spray gun, and cocoa butter colors will be taught, as well as cut-out decorations, silk screens, Pastillage, and sugar pulled and blown and spun and piped.  These techniques and more will be applied to several showpieces that you will create and take home.    

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Externship Program

Take this opportunity to experience life as a pastry chef at one of the finest culinary establishments in the country.  At the conclusion of the L’Art de la Pâtisserie program, a three-month externship is offered to help you gain experience and obtain an introduction to your future career.  Click here to view a listing of some of the externship locations.