Chef Philip Speer conceives desserts that are an anticipated finish to dinner rather than an afterthought. As a 17 year old, Speer began experimenting as a scratch baker in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Speer’s approach to his craft and these techniques have garnered him awards in the Austin Chronicle, the Austin-American-Statesman and Texas Monthly as well as national recognition in Bon Appetit, Cooks Illustrated, and U.S.A. Today. He appeared as a judge on the Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” as well as part of Chef Tyson Cole’s team that competed on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Speer has been named a James Beard Award semi-finalist in the overall pastry chef category for the past two years.