Childhood Memories Inspire these Pastry Chefs to Play with their Food

Nothing conjures childhood memories like the chill of a Creamsicle on the tongue or a spoon digging through the gooey layers of a hot fudge sundae. These familiar flavors inform tastes, desires and first sugar-high memories, usually much more than the most complex, thought-out desserts.

Pastry Chef Thomas Heck of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Philadelphia remembers sneaking into the kitchen as a kid to climb atop the...