Chicago - July 20, 2005

Play Dough

The French Pastry School Classes

Everybody raves about your chocolate chip cookies. The moist texture, the melted chips, the crispy bottom.

But when pressed for your famous recipe, you’ve got to tip your hat to Toll House.

If you want to learn the real tricks of the trade, head to The French Pastry School. Started in 1995 as a professional school, it opened its doors to the public in 1999. Three-day seminars for novices have all the pomp and circumstance of the 24-week expert series (small classes, top-notch ingredients, chef whites) but are tailored to folks who can’t tell a sponge from a pâte à choux.

In upcoming sessions master jam maker Christine Ferber (and France’s first female Pastry Chef of the Year) teaches you all about tarts; ex-NoMI pastry chef (and 2004 Food Network Chocolate Challenge winner) John Kraus shows you the ropes of tiny baked goods; and Atlanta’s Nicholas Lodge (founder of the International School of Sugar and Confectionary Arts) unfurls fondant-rolling magic.

So the next time someone asks you for your secret ingredient, the cookie won’t crumble.


The French Pastry School, 226 West Jackson Boulevard, suite 106, at Franklin Street (312-726-2419 or frenchpastryschool.com). Traditional and Unique Favorites from Christine Ferber, August 2-4; Tea Cakes & Mini Pastries, August 23-25; Rolled Fondant Techniques, October 5-7.