Kierin Baldwin Kierin Baldwin is a Brooklyn-based pastry chef hailed by The New York Times as one of the "best pie makers in New York City." She ran pastry programs at chef Andrew Carmellini's acclaimed restaurants The Dutch and Locanda Verde. Kierin was the lead pastry instructor at the International Culinary Center and is now a Pastry & Baking Arts chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. Experience Keirin Baldwin got her professional start at the Michelin-starred Café Boulud where she honed her technical skills working under James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Ghaya Oliveira. A brief tenure as pastry chef at Italian fine-dining restaurant A Voce allowed Keirin to be creative and learn how to experiment, which prepared her for her next job at TriBeCa hotspot Locanda Verde where she served as sous chef for pastry chef Karen Demasco. Under Demasco's guidance, Kierin developed a more relaxed, down-to-earth approach to desserts focusing more on balancing flavors and taste rather than primarily on artful presentation.Her pie-centric menu at The Dutch combined Kierin's love of rustic, homey desserts with fine-dining sensibilities. When Kierin returned to Locanda Verde in 2014 to take over as executive pastry chef, she reworked The Dutch's nostalgic American favorites to fit an urban Italian setting. She turned doughnuts into bomboloni and made morning glory muffins with pine nuts, orange, lemon olive oil, pistachios, and Grappa-soaked raisins. In 2017 Kierin took a position as lead pastry instructor at her alma mater, ICC, where she taught until 2020. She currently freelances as a pastry consultant, developing recipes and menus, and continues to teach at the Institute of Culinary Education. Education Kierin studied fine and studio arts at Alfred University where she graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree. She received a grande diplome in baking and pastry arts from the International Culinary Center. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.