Maida Heatter (September 7, 1916 – June 6, 2019) was an Americanpastry chef and cookbook author who specialized in baking and desserts.

Heatter was born inBaldwin, New York, the daughter of radio commentatorGabriel Heatter and Saidie Heatter (née Hermalin).^[1] She graduated from New York'sPratt Institute in fashion design and began a career as anillustrator of merchandising, then subsequently switching tojewellery design, and then finally becoming abaker and baking instructor.^[2]

Her career as a professional cookbook author began when her skills in dessert making caught the attention ofCraig Claiborne, a former food section editor of theNew York Times.^[2] In part through his numerous endorsements for her^[3] and his suggestion to her to write her own cookbook, Heatter began her decades-long career in teaching baking and writing cookbooks.^[2]

The quality of her recipes caught the attention of many prominent figures in the trade of cooking and baking,^[2] garnering praise from numerous celebrity and media sources.^[4] Heatter's cookbooks have been the recipient of threeJames Beard Foundation Awards, and she herself was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America in 1988. She was also inducted into the Chocolatier Magazine Hall of Fame.^[5]

Heatter was married three times. In 1940, she married shoe designerDavid E. Evins, who was also Jewish; they had one daughter before divorcing.^[6] In 1949, she married Ellis Gimbel Jr., grandson ofAdam Gimbel and brother ofRichard Gimbel.^[7][8] In 1966, she married Ralph Daniels (died 1994).^[9] Her only child, daughter Toni Evins, died in a glider accident in 1989.^[10][11] Sheturned 100 in September 2016^[12] and died in June 2019 at the age of 102.^[13]

• James Beard Foundation Awards^[14]
  • 1998 Cookbook Hall of FameMaida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts
  • 1988 Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America
  • 1981 Single Subject BookMaida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts
  • 1978 Specialty BookMaida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies

• 1916 births
• 2019 deaths
• 20th-century American Jews
• 20th-century American non-fiction writers
• 20th-century American women writers
• 21st-century American Jews
• 21st-century American non-fiction writers
• 21st-century American women writers
• American cookbook writers
• American women centenarians
• American food writers
• American women non-fiction writers
• James Beard Foundation Award winners
• Jewish American non-fiction writers
• Jewish centenarians
• Jewish women writers
• Pastry chefs
• People from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
• Writers from New York (state)

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• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards