What to get for the dad who has everything? This year, skip the new tie and head for the kitchen instead. A home-baked treat will make this Father's Day an occasion to remember. Everyone deserves to have their own pastry chef-for-a-day once in a while--dads most of all. You may just discover a talent you can use all year long.
First, Think Like a Pastry Chef
The best desserts take a moment out of ordinary life and elevate it into something special. Says pastry chef Camal El Sherifi of Masa's, "Pastry and desserts are full of happiness." More than just sugar and butter, desserts bring us together to celebrate and accent the memory with delicious flavors and aromas. "There is a familiarity with flavors that most people hold dear," explains pastry chef Mark Chapman. "Your grandmother's pie, the special dessert your mom made, the soda fountain desserts you saved your allowance money to buy."
Next, Think Dad
And with your Father's Day treat, you can add your own culinary artwork to the list of family memories. To create something special for dad, it's the thought that counts: think of his favorite flavors, what he likes to do, or what dessert would complement your Sunday together. Here are some ideas:
- Action Dad: If dad is a mountain biker, runner, hiker, or even a workweek warrior with a busy schedule, keep him going with a batch of energy bars. You can incorporate his favorite flavors, adding espresso beans, chocolate, banana.
- Sports Fan Dad: For some dads, the best gift is some quality time with his favorite team, a cold beer in hand. The only thing better than the Sunday game is the game with a home-baked snack. Bite-size ginger snaps are perfect couch-side fare, plus they pair perfectly with dark beers such as Stout and Porter.
- Sophisticated Dad: Deep, rich flavors will make your dad feel like royalty. Think dark chocolate, raspberry, cream. Rum truffles or raspberry cheesecake, for example.
- Outdoors Dad: Are you taking your father out for a Sunday picnic, or grilling in the backyard? Cupcakes make an ideal portable treat--and you can decorate them with a personalized message. If a grill will be involved, consider a more adventurous dessert like Honey-Glazed Grilled Pineapple.
- Father's Day Brunch Dad: Fluffy pancakes first thing in the morning are a great way to make someone's day--especially if you serve them with a homemade topping like seasonal strawberry coulis.
Third, Think Pastry Chef Career
Baking a special dessert for someone you love is one of life's sweet pleasures. Your thought and creativity, together with chocolate, butter, and sugar, can add up to a moment of pure enjoyment. It's no wonder many home bakers go on to culinary arts careers as pastry chefs. Chef Al Sherifi "knew [he] wanted to be an artist, but didn't quite know what kind." He chose a pastry chef career because: "I love participating in people's joy through my desserts... it nourishes the soul to be part of these experiences."
If you love making desserts, consider turning your passion into a career. Besides a sweet tooth and creativity, a professional pastry chef must learn a wide array of techniques. Baking and confection-making are sciences as well as culinary arts. Pastry chefs learn the ropes at culinary school, which covers:
- Baking chemistry: how ingredients interact, the importance of temperature, and precise mixing techniques.
- Assembling and decorating pastry using different fillings and icings.
- Techniques for working with sugar and chocolate.
A baking or culinary arts school can take your culinary repertoire beyond simple layer cakes and cookies to delicate creations such as blown sugar and marzipan decorations, genoise cakes, pate a choux pastry, petit fours, and more.
Your Future as a Baking School Grad
Training from a culinary arts school is the first step to a creative, challenging career. Pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer paints an optimistic picture of the job market: "There is about one pastry chef for five job offers. Pastry will be so popular that this number should get even bigger." The U.S. Department of Labor predicts 17% growth in chef jobs through 2014. Culinary arts students "gain an advantage in their job search" because "they have more knowledge than a person who is just learning in the field."
Baking school can transform a hobby into a career. Pastry chefs "bring happiness to people" year round--not just dads, but also grads, grandmas, newlyweds, and anyone celebrating a special day, or just enjoying life. By this time next year, you could be baking Dad a five-star confection. For this Father's Day, he'll savor a thoughtful dessert baked with love and your own creative flair.