Below are samples of the techniques you’ll learn- the actual designs will vary!

Class Dates/Times: Wednesday, January 13 to Friday, January 15, 2027 | 9:00AM - 4:00PM (Lunch included each day)

PLUS 1 Evening Event (Chef Night Cooking Class*)Thursday, January 16, 2027 6:00PM - 8:30PM

$1,200.00 (includes all classes/lunches/swag bag) Single Baker**

**Bring a friend to share your station for $200.00 extra (they’ll get a swag bag too!)

Whether you're a passionate home baker or a cottage food business owner looking to level up, this immersive three-day retreat with Lisa He of Borderlands Bakery is designed to take your decorated cookie game from scratch — literally — to a fully realized, professional-quality skill set you can build a business or a beautiful hobby around.

Over three intensive, hands-on days, you'll master four distinct cookie bases, learn to work with royal icing from flood to florals, explore rolled and piped buttercream techniques, and walk away with a toolkit of recipes, skills, and confidence that will transform the way you approach decorated cookies forever. Take advantage of Lisa's 15 years of cookie decorating experience and pick her brain on all things cookies and cookie business while in class!

This retreat is limited to 11 stations and is fully immersive — everything the instructor makes, you make. No watching from the sidelines here.

What You'll Learn

Day 1 — The Foundation: Doughs, Flavors & Prep

Morning through afternoon — all cookies baked and ready for Day 2

The best decorated cookie starts with the best base. On Day 1 we slow down and do it right — mixing, flavoring, chilling, rolling, cutting, and baking four distinct cookie doughs so every cookie is perfectly prepped and ready for decorating.

You'll cover:

• Classic vanilla-almond cut-out sugar cookie: the workhorse base that I'll teach you to customize into 3 additional flavors of your choice

• Flavor extracts, emulsions, and how to build your own flavor profiles

• Mix-ins and inclusions: cocoa powder, citrus zest, espresso, spices, and more

• Proper dough hydration, chill times, and how both affect your cut

• Rolling for consistent thickness, cutter technique, and clean release

• Baking for flat, even cookies — oven tips, pan rotation, and cooling

By end of Day 1, you'll have 4 full sets of baked, cooled cookies ready to decorate. 

Day 2 — Royal Icing: From Flood to Fine Detail

Full day — all things royal icing

Royal icing day is where decorated cookies become art. We'll spend the full day working through every consistency, every technique, and every tool — from your first flood fill to hand-painted florals.

Morning: Foundations

• Royal icing from scratch — meringue powder vs. egg white, ratios, and troubleshooting

• Understanding consistency: flood, stiff, floral and when to use each

• Color theory for cookie decorating: mixing, marbling, achieving true blacks and whites, a little discussion about non-artificial dyes & impacts

• Flooding technique: how to outline, fill, and get a perfectly smooth surface every time

• Wet-on-wet designs: simple patterns, color blocking, and blending

Afternoon: Advanced Techniques

• Fine line piping and detail work

• Brush embroidery and hand-painted details

• Royal icing florals: roses, wildflowers, and leaves

• Lettering: block, script, and bounce lettering on cookies

• Stenciling with royal icing

• Airbrushing: base colors, gradients, shading, and using stencils with an airbrush

You'll leave Day 2 with 2 dozen decorated royal icing cookies plus the confidence to do it again at home.

Day 3 — Buttercream: Rolled, Piped & Molded

Full day — buttercream techniques

Day 3 brings a completely different feel: softer, more tactile, and incredibly versatile. We'll work with both rolled buttercream (think fondant, but better) and classic piped buttercream to create a third and fourth set of decorated cookies with an entirely different aesthetic.

Morning: Rolled Buttercream

• Rolled buttercream from scratch — recipe, ratios, and texture troubleshooting

• Coloring and tinting for even, streak-free coverage

• Rolling, cutting, and applying to cookies for a clean, smooth finish

• Embossing, texturing, and using molds with rolled buttercream

• Layering and dimension: combining rolled buttercream with other media

Afternoon: Piped Buttercream

• Make American buttercream 

• Piping bag setup, tip selection, and pressure control

• Rosettes, ruffles, shells, stars, and rope borders

• Piped florals on cookies: peonies, daisies, and succulents

• Color loading and multi-tone piping for dimension

• Finishing touches: edible gold, luster dust, and sprinkle work

Day 3 wraps with 2 full sets of buttercream decorated cookies and a complete recipe portfolio to take home.

What You Take Home

• 1 cookie base recipe — fully annotated with flavor variation ideas & direction

• Complete royal icing recipe with consistency guide and color mixing reference

• Rolled buttercream recipe with troubleshooting notes

• American buttercream recipe

• 4 full sets of decorated cookies from all three days — beautifully packaged to travel

• A curated Swag Bag stocked with tools, ingredients, and treats selected for this retreat

• All class notes, technique guides, and reference sheets

• The skills, confidence, and inspiration to keep going at home

As we are located just across from the beach, the experience also invites moments of relaxation—beach chairs are available if you’d like to unwind by the water between daytime and evening sessions. You’re also welcome to bring a non-baking travel companion to join the evening classes as your guest, sharing your workstation (at no additional charge.)

This class is suitable for the following Dynamic Duo types:

YES: Parent/Grandparent & Child - As these are full day classes, they are more suitable for accompanied older children (10+) or younger children with a keen interest in baking.)

YES: Couples

YES: Friends (you will share all equipment/ingredients for 1 recipe/batch…we let you rock, paper, scissors if the recipe doesn’t divide equally.)

Q:What is a Dynamic Duo?A: It’s basically two people sharing the same workstation. You share all equipment and ingredients for a single batch of whatever we’re making that day. Don’t worry, we won’t stick you with some random stranger- if you want to fly solo, you’ll have the station (and all the yummy food) all to yourself! On the Chef/Date Night (the evening class) you will always have enough for two and generally extra to bring home too.

These are full-day classes, please wear comfortable shoes (stools will be provided) and have long hair tied back. For the comfort of all our students and staff, we ask that you refrain from wearing perfume or cologne. You may wish to bring a cardigan or sweater as the kitchen is kept at 68F.  You will warm up once you start working!

Please read our FAQ’s on the RETREATS page BEFORE booking.

Email us at info@fabbaker.com if you have any further questions.

PAY IN FULL NOW

PAY 50% BOOKING DEPOSIT NOW (Balance due by December 15, 2026)

Class Dates/Times: Tuesday, January 19 to Thursday, January 21, 2026 | 9:00AM - 4:00PM (Lunch included each day)

$1,200.00 (includes all classes/lunches/swag bag) Single Baker**

**Bring a friend to share your station for $200.00 extra (they’ll get a swag bag too!)

Step into a refined, hands-on viennoiserie retreat designed for passionate home bakers ready to deepen their craft in laminated doughs. Over five immersive days, Pastry Chef and Chocolatier Mary Storey will guide you through the artistry and precision of classic French pastry in a relaxed, inspiring environment.

You’ll develop a strong foundation in laminated doughs, mastering both croissant and puff pastry while exploring their distinct characteristics, similarities, and best applications. Through guided, hands-on practice, you’ll refine essential lamination techniques—from proper butter lock-in to a range of folds—along with shaping methods that define the structure, texture, and finish of each pastry.

Building on these skills, you’ll create a repertoire of classic French fillings entirely from scratch. Learn to craft silkycrème pâtissière, rich frangipane, airy mousseline, glossy ganache, and deeply flavored caramel—each designed to elevate your pastries to a professional standard.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll produce an elegant collection of both traditional and modern viennoiserie, with a focus on flavor, technique, and presentation. Your creations will include sweet and savory croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, almond croissants, kouign-amann, galette des rois, chaussons aux pommes, and delicate palmiers.

More than a class, this retreat is an opportunity to slow down, refine your techniques, and build the confidence to create bakery-quality viennoiserie in your own kitchen.

This class is suitable for the following Dynamic Duo types:

YES: Parent/Grandparent & Child - As these are full day classes, they are more suitable for accompanied older children (10+) or younger children with a keen interest in baking.)

YES: Couples

YES: Friends (you will share all equipment/ingredients for 1 recipe/batch…we let you rock, paper, scissors if the recipe doesn’t divide equally.)

Q:What is a Dynamic Duo?A: It’s basically two people sharing the same workstation. You share all equipment and ingredients for a single batch of whatever we’re making that day. Don’t worry, we won’t stick you with some random stranger- if you want to fly solo, you’ll have the station (and all the yummy food) all to yourself!

These are full-day classes, please wear comfortable shoes (stools will be provided) and have long hair tied back. For the comfort of all our students and staff, we ask that you refrain from wearing perfume or cologne. You may wish to bring a cardigan or sweater as the kitchen is kept at 68F.  You will warm up once you start working!

Breakdown of the recipes/techniques you will learn:

• Lamination Techniques:

  • Proper butter lock-in

  • Arange of folds

  • Shaping methods for a variety of different pastries

• Classic French Fillings:

  • Silky Crème Pâtissière

  • Rich Frangipane

  • Airy Mousseline

  • Glossy Chocolate Ganache

  • Deeply Flavored Caramel

• French Viennoiserie:

  • Sweet and Savory Croissants

  • Pain au Chocolat

  • Pain aux Raisins

  • Almond Croissants

  • Kouign-amann

  • Galette des rois

  • Chaussons aux Pommes

  • Delicate Palmiers

Please read our FAQ’s on the RETREATS page BEFORE booking.

Email us at info@fabbaker.com if you have any further questions.

PAY IN FULL NOW

PAY 50% BOOKING DEPOSIT NOW (Balance due by December 19, 2026)

Class Dates/Times: Tuesday, January 26 to Thursday, January 28, 2026 | 9:00AM - 4:00PM (Lunch included each day)

$1200.00 (includes all classes/lunches/swag bag) Single Baker**

**Bring a friend to share your station for $200.00 extra (they’ll get a swag bag too!)

Escape the cold and spend three delicious days immersed in the world of sourdough at the Florida Academy of Baking’s state-of-the-art kitchen in sunny Satellite Beach, Florida. Planned for early 2027, this hands-on retreat is the perfect opportunity to trade winter weather for sunshine while learning the skills and science behind great sourdough baking.

This retreat is designed for bakers who want to go beyond simply following a sourdough recipe. Over three days, you’ll learn how sourdough works, how to care for and maintain your starter, how to read your dough, and how to turn one starter into a wide variety of delicious baked goods.

We’ll combine hands-on baking, demonstrations, baking science, and plenty of time in the kitchen. You’ll bake throughout the retreat and learn techniques you can continue using at home long after you leave Florida.

Day 1 – Understanding Your Sourdough

We’ll begin by taking the mystery out of sourdough and exploring the science behind fermentation. You’ll learn how to feed and maintain your starter and understand the difference between an active starter, fed starter, and discard.

You’ll make your first Everyday Sourdough Loaf, learning about dough development, fermentation, shaping, and baking. We’ll explore open baking, Dutch ovens, and steam, as well as the art of scoring—from simple expansion cuts to decorative designs.

You’ll also bake a pre-made loaf, prepare sourdough waffle batter for the following day, and create a levaing that will be ready for Day 2.

Day 2 – Building Skills & Adding Flavor

Day two takes your sourdough skills further as you bake your Everyday Loaf and begin working with inclusion breads. You’ll learn how to incorporate additional ingredients into dough while maintaining its structure and fermentation.

We’ll prepare a Sourdough Inclusion Loaf, make dough for focaccia pizza, and prepare sourdough pretzel dough. You’ll also bake a pre-made fougasse, create delicious sourdough cookies, and learn how baker’s percentages and ratios give you the freedom to scale and adapt recipes rather than simply following them.

We’ll finish the day by preparing another levain for Day 3.

Day 3 – Bake, Create & Take Sourdough Home

On the final day, you'll put your new skills to work as we bake the Sourdough Inclusion Loaf, pretzels, and focaccia pizza.

You’ll learn how to dehydrate your starter so you can preserve it for future use and explore how to revive it when needed. We’ll also make Sourdough Discard Cheese-Its, proving that your discard can be transformed into something delicious rather than going to waste.

Finally, we’ll explore one of the most useful skills for a sourdough baker: understanding sourdough starter versus commercial yeast and how to substitute starter or discard into recipes.

By the End of the Retreat

You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of sourdough, practical skills you can use at home, and the confidence to experiment rather than simply follow a recipe. You’ll understand how to maintain your starter, develop and shape dough, control fermentation, calculate baker’s percentages, adapt recipes, use discard, and bake using different methods.

Most importantly, you'll have spent three days baking, learning, sharing great food, and enjoying the sunshine of Florida's Space Coast.

Come for the sourdough. Stay for the sunshine. Leave with the skills to bake better bread at home.

This class is suitable for the following Dynamic Duo types:

YES: Parent/Grandparent & Child - As these are full day classes it is more suitable for accompanied older children (10+) or younger children with a keen interest in baking.)

YES: Couples

YES: Friends (you will share all equipment/ingredients for 1 recipe/batch…we let you rock, paper, scissors if the recipe doesn’t divide equally.)

*What is a Dynamic Duo? It’s basically two people sharing the same workstation at no extra charge. You share all equipment and ingredients for a single batch of whatever we’re making that day.

We provide all ingredients, supplies, and tools required for use during each class. Best of all you get to take home whatever tasty treats you make - we provide all boxes/packaging.

This is a full-day class, please wear comfortable shoes (stools will be provided) and have long hair tied back. For the comfort of all our students and staff, we ask that you refrain from wearing perfume or cologne. You may wish to bring a cardigan or sweater as the kitchen is kept at 68F. 

As we are located just across from the beach, the experience also invites moments of relaxation—beach chairs are available if you’d like to unwind by the water between daytime and evening sessions. You’re also welcome to bring a non-baking travel companion to join the evening classes as your guest, sharing your workstation (at no additional charge.)

This class is suitable for the following Dynamic Duo types:

YES: Parent/Grandparent & Child - As these are full day classes, they are more suitable for accompanied older children (10+) or younger children with a keen interest in baking.)

YES: Couples

YES: Friends (you will share all equipment/ingredients for 1 recipe/batch…we let you rock, paper, scissors if the recipe doesn’t divide equally.)

Q: What is a Dynamic Duo?A: It’s basically two people sharing the same workstation. You share all equipment and ingredients for a single batch of whatever we’re making that day. Don’t worry, we won’t stick you with some random stranger- if you want to fly solo, you’ll have the station (and all the yummy food) all to yourself!

These are full-day classes, please wear comfortable shoes (stools will be provided) and have long hair tied back. For the comfort of all our students and staff, we ask that you refrain from wearing perfume or cologne. You may wish to bring a cardigan or sweater as the kitchen is kept at 68F.  You will warm up once you start working!

Please read our FAQ’s on the RETREATS page BEFORE booking.

Email us at info@fabbaker.com if you have any further questions.

PAY IN FULL NOW

PAY 50% BOOKING DEPOSIT NOW (Balance due by December 26)