Sable cookies three ways

Why the Creaming Method is Essential for Cookies

When creaming sugar and butter by hand, temperature and timing are key when emulsifying, or mixing together, the fats and the water in butter and eggs. Chef Kathryn demonstrates how to make creamed

A celebratory croquembouche is accented with ribbon.

Celebrate New Year’s with a Croquembouche

At the annual ICE Cuisine Course in France, which I have been running for almost 20 years, we have built croquembouches at a pastry shop, La Duchesse Anne, in Saumur. All ICE culinary and pastry

Chai Langues-de-Chat with Blueberry Cream Filling

Chai Lovers’ Cookies

I have always loved chai. My favorite approach is, of course, to make it myself, rather than use one of the premixed packages that proliferate at coffee bars and are available at grocery stores (which

chef gale gand

Advanced Pastry at ICE: Gale Gand

What will you be covering in the CAPS class at ICE? This will be a class all about vanilla—its complexities and uses. We’ll cover the four main varieties of vanilla beans, vanilla paste and vanilla

A pastry student brushes details on an edible Halloween witch

The Showpiece Sorcerers — Karen Portaleo and Susan Notter at ICE

What's your favorite part of designing a sugar showpiece? I would say designing the actual piece is the most challenging part, and I enjoy seeing how the sculpture develops from the basic sketch into

green chocolate bon bons

Pastry Chef Turned Chocolatier: Interview with Roger Rodriguez

What sparked your move from pastry kitchens to focusing exclusively on chocolate? I'm a pastry chef with a huge passion for chocolate. When I was working in restaurants, everyone was using the same

pastry made by Chef Richie Capizzi restaurant

The Pastry Prodigy: Chef Richard Capizzi

This summer, ICE students will have the chance to train with Richard in a one-day master class at ICE’s Center for Advanced Pastry Studies on July 27. In anticipation of his class, we sat down with

an airbrushed cake to look like a goldfish lily pond by Lisa Berczel

The Craft of Cake Painting: Airbrush Artist Lisa Berczel

What initially sparked your interest in airbrushing? As soon as I could hold a crayon, I've had a go at just about every craft and art form there is. Airbrush inevitably had its turn. However, that

pastry chef peter yuen

Pastry Fusion: The Pan-Cultural Techniques of Chef Peter Yuen

In anticipation of his exclusive two day viennoiserie workshop at ICE on July 12-13, we caught up with Chef Yuen to learn more about his unique pastry philosophy. As a specialist in laminated dough

dessert made by chef anil rohira

Heart, Head, Hand—The Pastry Philosophy of Chef Anil Rohira

This spring, we’re thrilled to be hosting a three-day seminar featuring Chef Rohira’s finest techniques. In anticipation of his course, we sat down with him to hear more about his career and what we

ie cream sundae

The Ice Cream Innovator: An Interview with Sam Mason

What have you been up to since your last CAPS class ? The slower winter months, business-wise, seem to inspire a creative spark. We tend to do a lot of research and development in the cold months—for

tall white cake

From Interior Design to Edible Design: Stevi Auble

Formerly, you were an interior designer. What inspired you to shift your focus to cakes? It was something that evolved a few years ago. I started making cupcakes for my youngest daughter’s preschool

Subscribe to Kathryn Gordon — Chef-Instructor, Pastry & Baking Arts