Behind the Product Development Process
I was grateful to have my former chef-instructor from ICE's Pastry & Baking Arts program, Penny Stankiewicz, share some wisdom about the process. “With recipe testing, the first thing I do is research
Cocoa: The Forgotten Ingredient
For years I have been passively using cocoa powder. Very rarely is cocoa powder the main ingredient in products I make so I rarely give it much thought. I always focus on the type of chocolate, the
How to Make Saltwater Taffy
Growing up, Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Stephen Chavez and his family would take a perennial summer pilgrimage to Catalina Island, about 20 miles off the Southern California coast. “Dead
Giving New Life to Vintage Chocolate Molds
In its earliest modern form, in the days of the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, chocolate would have been sold unsweetened in rough blocks and cakes, to be ground or broken up by the end-user for
How to Make an Ombre Cake
Ever since ombre cakes became fashionable, the colorful trend has filled inspiration boards on Pinterest and flooded foodies' social media feeds. While the ombre hair trend emerged in the early part
The History of Mexican Wedding Cookies
Though the name may imply otherwise, Mexican wedding cookies are made for plenty of occasions other than just celebrating matrimony. During the holiday season, you’ll likely find some variation of
Why We Measure by Weight
Using a kitchen scale is so important that it's the first lesson for Culinary Arts and Pastry & Baking Arts students at the Institute of Culinary Education. In the video below, Chef Jeff gives a sneak
How to Make a Parchment Paper Cornet
In a pastry chef’s toolbox, you may find items like a candy thermometer, a bench scraper and an offset spatula that professionals simply can’t live without. You may be surprised to find out that one
Sweet Potato Tart
Working with fresh pumpkin can be a frustrating exercise due to its inconsistency, and I always feel a bit guilty resorting to the canned variety. The choice of sweet potato as an alternative is an
Pastry Chef Michelle Palazzo's Path to Frenchette Bistro and Bakery
“I started pretty young,” Michelle admits. “I begged my mom to send me to cooking camp when I was a kid.” Throughout middle school and high school, her goal was to attend culinary school. At 18 years
The History of Royal Icing String Work
The traditional technique is one perfected over a century. It involves delicate piping of royal icing, through a very small piping tip, built up upon itself to reach breathtaking gravity-defying
From Food TV Fan to Culinary Producer
In 2017, when Cher was laid off by her employer, she was out of a paycheck, and sadly like many people today, she could not find a new job. To fill her time, Cher resorted to baking. “What I used to