Chef of the Month - KyleKyle is our September Chef of the Month!  He attended two of our camps this summer and we are proud to see him grow into a great chef.  Kyle has taken all the skills he learned in camp to cook at home.  He loves to make homemade ice cream, cookies, pickles and jam.  He recently made Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream with grated dark chocolate and honey roasted cashews.  Yum!  This summer Kyle operated a lemonade stand on the street that included mint leaves, blackberry syrup and topped with a watermelon ball.  When Kyle is not cooking he loves to play Gin Rummy 500, Chess, and tag (in the park).

Name: Kyle
Age: 6
Neighborhood: Tribeca
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Potato Masher

Chef of the Month- AylaCongratulations to Ayla, winner of our August Facebook Photo Challenge and a longtime Cupcake Kids! budding chef! Ayla is a true cooking wiz who has been coming to our camps and classes for years, most recently at our Taste of Summer camp in June. You can find Ayla whipping up some amazing dishes in the kitchen in her chef's whites. When she's not in the kitchen, you can find Ayla playing with her friends, swimming, and traveling!

Name: Ayla
Age: 5 years
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, NYC & Charlotte, NC
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Whisk

Chef of the Month- DanicaCongratulations to Danica, winner of our June Facebook Photo Challenge! Just two years old, Danica is our youngest Chef of the Month ever- but she's already a skilled budding chef. Danicas adventurous personality makes her culinary creations even more special, and she isnt afraid to get messy in the kitchen- see for yourself! When she isnt whipping up her favorite dishes, you can find Danica swimming and dancing.

Name: Danica
Age: 2 years
Neighborhood: Putnam, NY
Favorite Food: Cucumbers and anything chocolate (of course)
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Mixing spoon and colander

Chef of the Month - GenesisGenesis has been a regular at our special Saturday classes, and she just celebrated her 9th birthday with her friends and family at our Cooking Party Extravaganza! Hers was the very first birthday party in our new kitchen studio, and we had a blast cooking with her and her friends. When Genesis isn't cooking, she's dancing. And when she isn't dancing, she's writing. Her creativity shines in everything she does, and we're looking forward to more culinary adventures with her in the future!

Name: Genesis
Age: 9 years
Neighborhood: Washington Heights, NY
Favorite Food: Pesto Penne Pasta (Italian)
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Ice Cream Scooper

Chef of the Month - RonanRonan is a Cupcake Kids regular who loves getting creative both in and out of the kitchen! When this master chef isn't whipping up his favorite dishes, he can be found jamming on his bongos or riding one of his favorite roller coaster rides!  He also enjoys spending time playing with his younger brother Liam, another familiar face at CK. Check out Ronan and Liam meeting Jacques Torres at one of our classes last Fall (bottom picture)!

Name: Ronan
Age: 8 years
Neighborhood: Cold Spring, NY
Favorite Food: Root beer floats, PB&J without the crust, Popcorn
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Meat grinder

Chef of the Month - GalenaGalena is a five-year-old with the cooking talents of a veteran chef! During her recent cooking party extravaganza, Galena championed the art of mixing and kneading to create pizza dough like the pros. Even her skills with cupcake-decorating rivaled the masters. When not whipping up amazing dishes in the kitchen, Galena loves to use her creative talents with arts and crafts, puzzles and playing with her older sister and young brothers.

Name: Galena
Age: 5 years
Neighborhood: Midtown, NYC
Favorite Food: Pasta
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Spatula

Photographs by Jennifer Lee Photography

Chef of the Month - AveryOne of our tiniest culinary tots, Avery just celebrated her 3rd birthday with Cupcake Kids! A true cooking wiz, Avery loves measuring, tasting and rolling out dough. When not in the kitchen, this little chef sings, dances and plays the saxophone and ukele. Never one to shy away from adventure, Avery also has a wild imagination and loves making up elaborate tales about fairies, princesses and pigs with her big sister Sabine (who is also a Cupcake Kid)!

Name: Avery
Age: 3 years
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village, NYC
Favorite Food: Cookie dough
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Whisk & rolling pin

Chef of the Month - FionaThis little firecracker can really heat up a kitchen! Along with her older brother, Kristof, Fiona has become a staple at Cupcake Kids events. With a great memory for everything she's learned and a taste for culinary perfection, Fiona brings enthusiasm to every cooking adventure. Whether it's holiday cookies, Harry Potter brews or some other yummy treat, Fiona's got great cooking chops. When she's not in the kitchen, Fiona loves swimming, playing with babies, the color pink, and pretty dresses with lots of flowers.

Name: Fiona
Age: 4 years
Neighborhood: Chelsea, NYC
Favorite Food: Vongole (clams with white wine, oil & parsley)
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Wooden scoop

Chef of the Month - LiamAny great chef has a serious sweet tooth, and our December Chef of the Month, Liam, is no exception. Liam's first cooking class was Let's Make Cupcakes!, but most recently Liam met his match with a real chocolate pro, Jacques Torres, on our Urban Foodies tour of Jacques's Chocolate Factory where Liam learned all the tricks from the master himself. As a true renaissance man, Liam also loves video games, swimming, Star Wars, ice skating, and playing with his older brother and best friend Ronan - a fellow Cupcake Kids chef extraordinaire!

Name: Liam
Age: 7 years
Neighborhood: Cold Spring, NY
Favorite Food: Chicken Noodle Soup with extra Carrots & Lemon Gelato
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Spatula for making Taco Pancakes

Chef of the Month - LizaYou'd be hard-pressed to find a chef as enthusiastic as Liza! When Liza celebrated her 10th birthday with us this past fall, she proved herself to be a true whiz kid in the kitchen. She and her friends whipped up lasagna, garlic bread, and chocolate chip mini-pies that would put the greatest chefs to shame. Liza's a life-long fan of food, and her favorite TV shows are Chopped and Ace of Cakes. Even though Liza is an expert in the kitchen, she also loves to sing, play the violin, and be with her family.

Name: Liza
Age: 10 years
Neighborhood: Upper East Side, NYC
Favorite Food: Pizza
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Spatula and Whisk

Chefs of the Month - Eliza & ToryEliza and Tory were our very first Cupcake Kids, and they've become one amazing cooking team! Whether they're mixing, baking, or stirring up trouble this sisterly duo can really call the shots in the kitchen. 5-year-old Eliza loves to show her little sister, Tory, all her favorite cooking tricks, and both girls love learning new techniques in the kitchen. What next for these budding chefs? After Eliza joined us for a special Gingerbread Cookie & House decorating TV segment on FOX 5, we predict a food network show in Tory and Eliza's future. In between their culinary adventures, Eliza and Tory love singing, dancing, swimming and playing with little sister Kate.

Name: Eliza & Tory
Age: 5 & 3 years
Neighborhood: West Village, NYC
Favorite Food: Rice, Lentils, Corn, Broccoli, Pasta
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Whisk & Piping Bag

Chef of the Month - RyanFrom day one, Ryan wowed CK with his eloquent descriptions of food and cooking. His favorite sweet treat is anything with chocolate, especially chocolate chip muffins. This budding chef loves to taste and is always stealing a sneak peak of the batter to be sure his recipe is just right! Ryan is currently working on mastering cracking eggs and making Shirley Temples. When this mixing guru is not in the kitchen, he enjoys swimming, tennis, and playing with his new baby sister Hope and brother Aidan.

Name: Ryan
Age: 6 years
Neighborhood: West Village, NYC
Favorite Food: Penne pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Tongs for picking up stuff

Chef of the Month - MaddyMaddy is a chef who is growing into her culinary shoes...literally. After waiting in line for hours to meet celebrity Chef Bobby Flay, he was so enthralled by Maddy that he autographed her Converse shoes! A proud owner of 15 aprons, Maddy loves watching The Food Network, spending time with friends, and playing with her dog Daisy Dukes.

Name: Maddy
Age: 10 years
Neighborhood: Norfeldt, CT
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Kitchen Utensil: Whisk

Chef of the Month - KristofKristof is one of our dearest budding chefs whose love for cooking is contagious. In addition to being an expert egg cracker, mixer and taste tester, Kristof is great at sharing with his friends in class. When not in the kitchen, Kristof can be found swimming, singing or watching Star Wars.

Name:  Kristof
Age:  5.5 years
Neighborhood:  Chelsea, NYC
Favorite food:  Blueberry Muffins
Favorite kitchen utensil:  Electric Whisk