The Institute of Culinary Education: Culinary Arts Program Curriculum Outline

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	PASTRY & BAKING ARTS DIPLOMA: PROGRAM CURRICULUM OUTLINE


	The diploma program contains five modules. The first four modules are comprised of 100 four-hour lessons that are held at the Institute. The fifth module is an off-site externship. The program is constructed as follows:

	MODULE 1 : 100 Hours Course 1: Introduction to Baking Techniques and Ingredients The program begins by giving students an in-depth understanding of the ingredients, techniques and procedures they will use throughout the program: • Identification and discussion of the four essential ingredient groups: dairy, fruit, flours and chocolate. • Cost analysis, weights and measures, culinary math, food safety, sanitation and equipment identification. • Introduction to basic decorating skills, the use of a pastry bag and making and utilizing cornets. • Techniques for preparing fruit-based desserts, including paring, poaching, roasting, macerating, drying and candying. Course 2: Introduction to Baking Techniques and Ingredients All well-executed desserts rely on a mastery of fundamental techniques. In this course, students begin the journey toward that goal by learning: • The basics of egg theory as they prepare egg-based desserts like crème brûlée, bread pudding, soufflés, mousses, meringues and éclairs. • The theory and practice of sugar cookery, including the preparation of sugar syrups, glazes, fondant, nougat and caramel. • How to prepare a variety of cheesecakes along with classic pastry cream and pâte à choux. • Production of frozen desserts such as ice creams and sorbets. MODULE 2 : 100 Hours Course 1: Breads and Other Yeast-Raised Doughs Bread is at the crossroads of the culinary and baking arts. At the heart of this deceptively simple food is some of the program's most challenging material. • The technique and theory of working with yeasted doughs: fermentation, dough hydration, temperature control, kneading and formation methods. • How to calculate and utilize bakers' percentages, as well as sponge, sour and straight dough formulations. • Application of this theoretical knowledge by baking a variety of breads, including braided, rye, olive and sourdough loaves along with brioche, bagels, baguettes, foccacia and pizza. Course 2: Pastry Doughs Mixing, rolling, turning and forming: these are the essential skills students master as they learn to prepare the wide variety of doughs that are the basis of so many pastry items. Included are: • The trio of classic doughs: pâte brisée (flakey), pâte sucrée (sweet) and pâte sablé (cookie) to make individual tarts and pastries. • Laminated or layered doughs, including puff paste, croissant and Danish doughs, both by hand and with the use of a commercial sheeter. • Proper rolling techniques for preparing tarts, galettes, pies (single-crust, two-crust and lattice), palmiers, mille-feuille, fruit strips, pithiviers, croissants, pains au chocolat and a variety of Danish specialties. • Specialty pastry shop items including phyllo, donuts, cannoli, sfogliatelle and hand-stretched classic strudel. MODULE 3 : 100 Hours Course 1: Cakes, Fillings and Icings From the humble pound cake to the classic genoise, students go beyond the recipes to explore the theory and technique of cake making and their abilities to create original cakes. Students will learn: • Butter-based and egg-foam cakes, including a variety of layered and rolled versions. • The theory of batter balance as they prepare cakes using various mixing techniques: one-stage, high-ratio and creaming method. Cakes prepared include carrot, pound, white, yellow, crumb, chocolate along with muffins. Low-fat and egg-foam cakes such as angel food, chiffon and genoise are also included. • Icings and fillings such as curds and ganaches as well as both Swiss and Italian meringue-based buttercreams. • How to form, glaze and decorate petits fours. Course 2: Advanced Cakes, Cookies and Plated Desserts Batters produce more than the familiar cakes we often see: more complex techniques give us not only an international assortment of cakes, but cookies as well. Covered here are: • Complex layered goods including plain and chocolate-nut sponges, genoise, mousseline, pan di Spagna and biscuit joconde. • A classic assortment of cakes, including opera, miroir, tiramisu, zucatti, zuppa Inglese, charlottes and chocolate ribbon cakes. • A wide variety of piped, dropped, molded, bar, sheet and stencil cookies including biscotti, brownies, madeleines, macaroons, spritz, tuile and tulipe. • Theory, preparation and presentation of multi-element, contemporary plated desserts. MODULE 4 : 100 Hours Course 1: Cake Decorating Cake decorating represents the ultimate fusion of art and craft. The students' effort and practice in prior classes is rewarded as they take their skills to a new level by preparing tiered cakes. Students learn: • Buttercream flowers and borders, royal icing, fondant (draping, crimping and ruffling) and gum paste flowers. • Floral arrangement and tiered cake assembly including splitting, filling and crumb coating, and the useage of marzipan for covering cakes and making flowers. • Finishing techniques like petal dusting and tier assembly. This course culminates in the creation of an original wedding cake. Course 2: Chocolate Confections Of the various media used by pastry chefs to express their vision, none is more seductive than chocolate. This comprehensive course takes students beyond the basic techniques and allows them to experience the joy of creativity as they produce a show piece of their own design. Students will learn: • Chocolate production, theory and tempering methods. • Dipping and enrobing. • Preparation of fudge, fondant, truffles, butter crunch, nougatine, molded chocolates, dipped and liquid-filled chocolates, chocolate baskets and - the highlight of this section -showpieces. • Advanced methods including piped and framed centers, chocolate plastique, pastillage and isomalt casting. MODULE 5 : 210 Hours Externship At the end of their in-class training, all students are assigned an externship. While The Institute of Culinary Education strongly recommends that students extern in restaurant kitchens, they may request other venues such as hotels, catering companies, corporate dining rooms, test kitchens or food magazines in order to meet their professional goals.

	WINE STUDIES AND SPECIALTY CLASSES In addition to the diploma program, all career students are given the opportunity to take the Institute's six-session Wine Essentials class and three single-session specialty classes as part of their education. Specialty classes cover an array of cuisines and topics and are offered days, nights and weekends. They are listed in The Main Course.