in-person ⬝ demo

Join Chef Miro Uskokovic, of New York City’s beloved restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, for a class on sugar alternatives.

We'll look at the world beyond highly processed conventional sugars, and explore the possibilities with nature’s best sweeteners like maple sugar, coconut palm sugar and date syrup.

Chef Miro will be talking about how various alternative sugars react in baked goods and why sugar is necessary for successful baking. He’ll also discuss how to use these sugars in everyday baking, and why these sugars are better for your overall health and the environment.

For the demo portion of the class Chef Miro will be preparing his delicious maple sugar cookies, chocolate date fudge cake and coconut sugar caramel, providing students with a hands-on, visual experience on how each sugar affects the taste, look, and texture of the final product. Come ready to learn and ask questions!

Complimentary Rosé included.

On the Menu

• Maple Sugar Cookies

• Chocolate Date Fudge Cake

• Coconut Sugar Caramel

• Rosé

About Your Guide

Miro Uskokovic was born and raised in small town Vrbas in Serbia. He grew up on his family farm where his mother had a small cheese and cake-making operation.

At seventeen, Miro came to the United States for the first time as part of a high school exchange program in Greentown, Indiana. After returning home to Serbia he attended hospitality college in Novi Sad.

In 2006 he relocated back to Indiana where he nurtured his love of baking, working with Pastry Chef Andrea Kirkpatrick in her shop Pastry Diva in Greentown, known for modern American cakes.

In 2008 Miro enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America, where he received an Associate’s Degree in the culinary program in early 2010. While completing his externship in the savory kitchen at Wallsé, Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’sflagship restaurant, Miro met Jean-Georges Pastry Chef, Johnny Iuzzini, who offered him the opportunity to train as his production intern during his days off. After completing his program at the CIA he returned to Jean-Georges as a pastry cook. Within a year and a half, Miro had become the Pastry Sous Chef at Jean-Georges, working first under Iuzzini and then Pastry Chef Joseph Murphy.

After his time at Jean Georges, Miro was named the Pastry Chef of Aldea, Chef George Mendes’ Flatiron restaurant. In the fall of 2013 Miro became the Pastry Chef of Gramercy Tavern. In spring 2015 Miro was also named the Pastry Chef of the new Untitled restaurant at Whitney Museum.

Miro's work was recognized by Dessert Professional who named him one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in North America in 2015. His work was also recognized by many media outlets like Saveur, Bon Appetite, Bake from Scratch, New York Mag, Life and Thyme, Eater just to name a few. His work was praised in both Untitled and Gramercy Tavern New York Times reviews by Pete Wells.

Miro’s contemporary American desserts are created out of a collection of personal memories and experiences, as well as influence from other cuisines.

You can follow Miro on Instagram at @mirouskokovic, and read up on declicisous recipes on his blog at Miro Bakes