Double Certification – Pastry Arts

 

 

The Disciples Escoffier Professional Diploma in Pastry Arts:

An intensive program, open to beginners, covering over 300 recipes and techniques

ICDE’s flagship pastry program is the Disciples Escoffier Professional Diploma in Pastry Arts. This is an intensive training program, open to beginners, covering over 300 recipes and techniques. It is designed to set you on a career path to become a junior pastry chef, a cake designer or a rising pastry professional, for instance.

From the iconic “Mille-feuilles” and “Opéra” cakes, to the traditional “Croquembouche” and “Crunch Pistacchio Financier”, or more adventurous creations such as the “Tahiti Dream”, our Diploma encapsulates a broad range of classic and original recipes. The program draws inspiration from the rich pastry and baking traditions of France, as well as the French Ministry of Education’s official curriculum for young pastry apprentices, as well as contemporary trends set by celebrated international pastry chefs.

Each class begins with a short lesson from your Master Teacher, who will outline terminology, relevant food history, the reasons behind various pastry techniques, and the rationale behind following procedures in a specific order. Before you make anything for the first time, your Master Teacher will demonstrate, providing instruction and showcasing the correct techniques, before you set out to make it yourself.

The program has been thoughtfully designed to teach you the core elements of pastry arts. You will learn new skills in each class, and step by step, you will progressively build upon them. The pace accelerates as you progress through each level, and learning is cumulative and fast.

Since the ICDE curriculum covers a vast amount of material in a short period of time, this program is intensive in nature, and your Master Teacher will guide you to work efficiently from day one.  Your instructors are passionate, accomplished professionals eager to share their expertise, and you will appreciate the kind of hands-on experience, personal attention, and support that can build your confidence and skills.

Our objective is to you prepare you to meet the demands of working in a professional kitchen or pastry shop, with the proper techniques and work habits necessary to succeed in the industry. We aim to equip you not only with the skillsets and practical know-how that are in high demand among employers, but also with the disciplined and rigorous mindset that in the long run will allow you to climb up the ladder as a rising pastry professional.

Our ultimate goal is to give you the essential tools and building blocks from which you can improvise, explore your own creativity, and contribute to the evolution of gastronomy.

 

Program structure:

Focus on hands-on practical training

The program is taught over 480 hours, more than 75% of which is hands-on practical training in the kitchen lab. Background reading materials are also regularly handed out to students, who study at home for the theoretical components of the course. Each session lasts 4 hours, for a total of 120 sessions.

The course is organized into two certificates, Fundamentals of Pastry and Advanced Pastry Arts, each lasting 240 hours. Students need to have completed the LeveL 1 Fundamentals of Pastry in order to enrol into Level 2 Advanced Pastry.

Upon successfully passing the final exam, students will be awarded two certifications: the Professional Diploma in Pastry Arts (delivered by ICDE), and the Level 3 Certificate in French Pastry (delivered by the French Ministry of Education).

 

Language of instruction: English

Classes and examinations are delivered in English language. It is important, therefore, to have a reasonably good level of English in order to successfully complete the program. Some French pastry terminology is covered.

KEY FACTS

Duration:  540 hours
Certifications: Double Certification
I: Professional Diploma in Culinary Arts (delivered by ICDE)
II: Level 3 Certificate in French Cuisine (delivered by the French Ministry of Education)
Teaching method: Demonstration, practical class, theory class
Language of instruction: English
Start dates: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• High school diploma or equivalent
• 18 years or older
• Competency in English language
• Interview
• No prior culinary experience is required

Certifications:

Earn two certifications with worldwide recognition

ICDE is a private higher education institute that specializes in Culinary and Pastry Arts training programs. Upon passing final exams, students will be awarded with our Disciples Escoffier Professional Diploma in Pastry Arts. With an industry network of around 30’000 Disciples Escoffier chefs around the world, this certification benefits from a wide recognition.

Furthermore, ICDE is accredited by the French Ministry of Education. Students will thus obtain an additional recognition, a National Certificate in Pastry Arts (level 3) delivered by the French Ministry of Education, further enhancing their prospects to pursue an international career in the pastry arts.

Level 1: Fundamentals of Pastry Certificate

The Level 1 Fundamentals of Pastry Certificate  (240 hours) is an exciting introduction to the professional world of pastry. You will cover a vast amount of material in a short period of time, including the concepts, properties and applications that are the essential “toolkit” of a pastry chef. In a fast-paced environment, through practical sessions and demonstrations, you will learn to create a wide range of pastries and desserts.

 

Skills & techniques covered in “Fundamentals of Pastry” include:

 

  • Fundamental pastry skills:Including measurements, tools commonly used by pastry chefs, general rules of hygiene as well as comprehensive food handling and safety issues for a kitchen environment.
  • Tarts:Make various crusts with classic pastry doughs, pâte brisée, pâte sucrée and pâte sablée, with differences by mixing methods and ratios of flour, butter, sugar and liquid.
  • Creams and fillings:Essential components in making not just tarts, but a full range of desserts, such as éclairs, cakes and plated desserts, they include Chiboust, almond cream, ganache, meringue, fruit compotes.
  • Pâte à choux :A dough used to make pastries such as Eclairs and Religieuses.
  • Pâte feuilletée:Multi-layered flaky pastry dough used to bake Mille-feuilles, among other pastries.
  • Viennoiseries:Exploring several variations of Croissants, Danish and Brioches
  • Chocolate techniques:Learning about the chocolate origins, production and structure, and essential techniques.
  • Cakes:Covering a wide array of techniques including cake mixing methods, beating egg whites, frostings and finishes, decorating techniques.

Recipes covered in Level 1 “Fundamentals of Pastry” include:

  • Hazelnut vanilla tart
  • Mandarin chestnut tart
  • Chocolate éclair
  • Mille-Feuille (classic style)
  • Almond croissant
  • Pear vanilla charlotte cake
  • Opéra cake
  • Cherry clafoutis
  • Caramel ginger “rocher”
  • Soufflé passion fruit

Level 2: Advanced Pastry Arts Certificate

Through cumulative practice in the Level 2 Advanced Pastry Certificate (240 hours), students begin to master fundamental techniques covered in Level 1. Their proficiency will allow them to explore more advanced techniques, and focus more on decoration skills. Students are guided by the Master Teacher to produce artistic, high-quality pastries, including plated desserts. Students are introduced to bread baking and to more sophisticated chocolate work including hand tempering and dipping techniques. With a focus on precision and efficiency, the course aims to prepare students for the workforce, but also enhance individual creativity and artistic skills.

 

  • Petits fours:
    Learn the various styles of bite-sized petits fours and practice the techniques of portioning and decorating for consistent products.
  • French regional specialties:
    France’s regional culinary traditions and heritage, from Poitou to Bretagne, offer countless local specialties.
  • International pastry:
    Explore American and Asian specialties, from green tea based pastry creations to cheesecakes.
  • Pastry for celebratory events:
    Learn to apply your pastry skills for carnivals and celebrations, such as Croquembouche and Pommes d’Amour.
  • Plated individual desserts:
    Learn to prepare restaurant style desserts. An individual dessert synthesizes many pastry techniques (including doughs, fillings, chocolate or sugar work) into one composition, to present a complete, single-portion creation.
  • Bread baking:
    An introduction to the art of baguette and cereal bread making.
  • Advanced chocolate techniques:
    Explore skills such as chocolate piping, dipping and hand tempering techniques.
  • Sugar techniques:
    Used for making many of the embellishments and adornments, sugar techniques are among the most challenging in pastry.
  • Molecular techniques:
    Numerous molecular gastronomy techniques may be used in pastry, such as spherification, non-traditional thickeners, Espuma, special foams and gels.

Recipes covered in level 2 “Advanced Pastry” include:

  • Tarte Tatin
  • Croquembouche
  • Profiterolles
  • Macarons
  • Carrot cake and pecan brownies
  • Orange Tuiles, Congolais and “Langue de Chat” petit fours
  • Christmas log
  • “Crunchy” Pistachio Financier
  • Raspberry and vanilla vacherin cake
  • Mogador cake

Who is the program aimed at?

A program open to all passionate and motivated students!

The Professional Diploma in Pastry Arts has been designed for beginners. It is aimed at all those who are passionate about pastry, from food enthusiasts and young professionals, to career shifters wishing to venture in the field of culinary arts, or experienced chefs looking to hone their skills in French patisserie.  Our students have a wide age range, they come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, yet they all have a common goal: learning from highly qualified instructors the skills and techniques required to become a professional pastry chef.

Since our Diploma is intensive in nature, an essential requirement to attend and successfully complete this program is a high degree of motivation! Are you concerned you will not be able to do it? You will not be on your own. Our classes are small, and our chef-instructors and chef assistants will be there to help you every step of the way, to provide direction and guidance as you practice.

Language of instruction: English

Classes and examinations are delivered in English language. It is important, therefore, to have a reasonably good level of English in order to successfully complete the program. Some French pastry terminology is covered.

Emilia Maxim is a pastry Master Chef Instructor at IDE Romania. The passion for good taste has always guided Emilia. The first and dearest memories, of course, are those of the tastes and dishes of the grandmother’s, mother’s and aunt’s kitchen: the piece of cake crumbled from Christmas Eve when Grandma was not paying attention, the dangerous and hot attraction of the special praline nuts for the cake. of my mother, the scent of Romanian breadcrumbs with butter and cinnamon of aunts made with plums and apricots made by my aunt…

For Emilia, confectionery was a pleasure and a refuge during the years of university, post-university studies and those spent as a journalist of the Romanian National Television. Only after the passion was accompanied by discipline, rigor, science and sacrifice through study and laboratory work, the confectionery became a vocation.

She took her first steps in the world of “real confectionery” under the guidance of Pastry Chef Mimi Dima, the creative mind behind the Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest laboratory. Then, her curiosity and desire to learn more turned her gaze to Italy where she discovered the satisfaction of production work in one of the largest and best event halls in the south of the peninsula, with Michelin-starred Chef Paolo Hood.

Her formative journey then continued in a completely different environment, that of the fine dining restaurant with great aspirations as a “sweet part” of the team led by the star Chef Felix Lo Basso. Here, productivity has turned its attention to the finest detail, the complexity and harmony of tastes and textures, the story of the final product and, of course, the refinement of the service. The results were not long in coming, and the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star less than a year after opening.

Out of longing for home and the desire to share the knowledge she gained, she returned to Bucharest where, together with her partner, she set up a special consulting company for the HoReCa environment. The company’s activity includes collaborations with restaurants, producers and public institutions, such as the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Bucharest.

Last but not least, out of love for the confectionery and hope for its future in Romania, Pastry Chef Emilia Maxim dedicated herself to training the next generation of professionals in the field.