Advanced Professional Skills in Baking & Pastry Arts

Advanced Professional Skills in Baking & Pastry Arts

Students will have the opportunity to complete the final set of courses of a larger program in Professional Skills in Baking & Pastry Arts. Within this third mini-certificate option, students will have the opportunity to learn the advanced techniques of the trade. This will include plated desserts, confectionery techniques, advanced skills in cake decorating, as well as chocolate and sugar artistry.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Students will demonstrate key considerations that are involved in planning a dessert menu. Study the basic concepts of figure, ground, line, contrast, pattern, proportion, color, symmetry, movement, unity, and balance. Students learn the principles of two- and three-dimensional design and develop language to analyze product design, plate presentations, decoration, and packaging on visual, tactile, and conceptual levels. Students will understand and use contemporary flavor pairing concepts.

• Students course will focus on chocolate and confectionery technology, ingredient function, and the production of chocolates and confections in an artisan setting. Vital concepts in both theory and practice will include controlling the crystallization of fats and sugars, manipulating water and free water in centers, and understanding the mechanics of emulsions. Students will apply their knowledge of these concepts in daily production of a wide range of chocolates and confections. Types of centers to be discussed and produced include varieties of ganache, crystalline and non-crystalline sugar confections, nut-based centers, jellies, and aerated confections. Ingredient function will focus on fats, nutritive sweeteners, dairy products, binding agents, and chocolate. Techniques include chocolate tempering methods, sugar cooking technique, hand dipping centers, and shell molding.

• Students will understand and demonstrate how to make and use pastillage, marzipan, nougatine, and prepare and use spun sugar, sugar centerpieces, and caramel decorations. Students will demonstrate critical safely measures when working with sugar, identify ingredients and equipment used for décor work, demonstrate proper techniques for pulling sugar for storage and future use, demonstrate the proper technique for handling kroquant and apply concepts on design to create a finished decorative centerpiece for display.