Learn the art of classic pastry as Chefs Jerrod and Simone guide you through creating three timeless desserts: Double Crust Apple Pie, Lemon Meringue Tartlets, and a Fresh Fruit Tart. In this course, you’ll master two essential pastry doughs—pâte brisée and pâte sucrée—along with techniques for rolling dough, preparing flavorful fillings, and assembling beautifully finished desserts. By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to bake bakery-quality pies and elegant tarts right at home.
Total Course Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Course Introduction
Overview of the course and the desserts you’ll create: double crust apple pie, lemon meringue tartlets, and fresh fruit tart.
Runtime: 1 minute
Lesson 1: Apple Pie – Pâte Brisée Crust
Learn how to prepare pâte brisée, a versatile pastry dough perfect for both sweet and savory pies.
Runtime: 15 minutes
Lesson 2: Apple Pie – Filling
Discover how to create the perfect apple pie filling with balanced sweetness, ideal texture, and the best apple varieties for baking.
Runtime: 16 minutes
Lesson 3: Apple Pie – Rolling Out the Crust
Learn the tools and techniques needed to roll pastry dough evenly for a perfect pie crust.
Runtime: 10 minutes
Lesson 4: Apple Pie – Assembling & Baking
Put everything together by lining the pie pan, filling the pie, adding the top crust, crimping the edges, and baking to golden perfection.
Runtime: 21 minutes
Lesson 5: Lemon Meringue Tart – Pâte Sucrée Crust
Create a sweet tart dough that is lighter and crisper than pie dough—perfect for elegant tarts.
Runtime: 4 minutes
Lesson 6: Lemon Meringue Tart – Baking the Tart Shell
Learn how to shape and bake a tart shell using a false-bottom tart pan to achieve crisp edges and a golden crust.
Runtime: 4 minutes
Lesson 7: Lemon Meringue Tart – Lemon Curd
Prepare a bright and tangy lemon curd that will form the flavorful base of your tart.
Runtime: 6 minutes
Lesson 8: Lemon Meringue Tart – Italian Meringue, Assembling & Presentation
Create silky Italian meringue, assemble the tart, and finish it with beautifully torched peaks.
Runtime: 7 minutes
Lesson 9: Fresh Fruit Tart – Vanilla Pastry Cream
Learn how to make smooth, velvety pastry cream that forms the base of a classic fresh fruit tart.
Runtime: 6 minutes
Lesson 10: Fresh Fruit Tart – Assembling & Finishing
Layer pastry cream and fresh fruit into a beautiful design and finish with a glossy glaze for the perfect presentation.
Runtime: 10 minutes
Lesson 11: Tasting Our Creations
Chefs Jerrod and Simone review and taste the finished desserts: apple pie, lemon meringue tartlets, and fresh fruit tart.
Runtime: 8 minutes
Total Course Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Chef Jerrod Perry
After teaching culinary arts in our Recreational department since 2014, Chef Jerrod Perry has since been promoted to Manager of Recreational Programs and Events. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu classic French culinary arts school, Chef Jerrod worked as an Executive Chef, Head Pastry Chef, and owned a private catering business in Hawaii for over 7 years before moving to Cambridge to explore his passion for culinary education.
Chef Simoné Montali
Chef Simoné Montali worked in his hometown of Florence, Italy at a bakery and then in high-end catering for four years before jetting off to attend CSCA. Chef Simone achieved Valedictorian status of both the Professional Chef’s Program in 2012 and the Professional Pastry Program in 2013. He then went on to work with Acardi Foods, one of the largest Italian and specialty food distributors in New England, and as the Pastry Chef at Bistro 5.