Cooking
Learn from local chefs, cooks and bakers, and discover delicious, healthy food ideas for your busy lifestyle!
How to Register
- Register online by selecting "Add to Cart" on the desired course(s) and select "Cart" at the bottom of the page when you are ready to checkout.
- The “Seats Left” information is updated every half hour and when you checkout.
- Other registration options are available.
Don’t see the course you are looking for below? Sign up to get updates and news about upcoming classes.
Courses
- Beginner Cookie Decorating
- Beginner Cookie Decorating Plus
- Cake Decorating
- Date Night
- How to Make Royal Icing
- Vegan Comfort Food for Fall
Beginner Cookie Decorating
If you’ve never worked with royal icing or have dabbled just a little, this class will help you get the ball rolling. We will work step by step on each cookie to learn the various decorating techniques used with royal icing, specifically piping/outlining, flooding, and wet-on-wet techniques. There are five cookie designs planned, and we will keep things rolling to get them all completed by the end of class. You will be taking them home with you in a bakery box, along with a royal icing recipe, a sugar cookie recipe, a decorating tool, a cookie cutter and a packet of seasonal sprinkles and/or cookie decorations. All
supplies are provided. This semester, class will be shortened to two hours by offering an informational handout, as well as a video, via email, with basics of baking cookies, tips and tricks of the trade, and a list of places online to check out for additional tutorials, instructional blogs, recipes, and vendors/suppliers for those who want to take it to the
next level. Ages 10+.
Students who have to withdraw must do so at least 5 days prior to the start of the
course for a full refund.
10/8 - Halloween Theme
11/7 - Thanksgiving Theme
11/19 - Christmas Theme
Course will be held in
Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookie, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 10/8 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-023 500 | 0 seats left | $69 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
| Thursday, 11/7 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-023 501 | 0 seats left | $69 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
| Tuesday, 11/19 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-023 502 | 0 seats left | $69 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Beginner Cookie Decorating Plus
Have you taken our Beginner Cookie Decorating class one or more times, and want to learn more detailed cookie designs? Beginner Cookie Decorating Plus is the next level course to bring those basic beginner cookies up a notch. Students, ages 10 and older, will work step by step on each cookie to learn hands-on the various decorating techniques used with royal icing. Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookie will teach the same piping/outlining, flooding, and wet-on-wet techniques as in her beginner class, but she will introduce other techniques, tools and supplies to enhance your cookies even more. Students will complete four to five cookie designs that they will take home with them in a bakery box, along with a decorating tool, a cookie cutter, and a packet of seasonal sprinkles and/or cookie decorations. All supplies are provided. Once class registration has closed, students will be sent Cindy’s informational blog, loaded with instructions on the basics of baking cookies, tips and tricks of the trade, and links to places online to check out for additional tutorials.
Students who have to withdraw must do so at least 5 days prior to the start of the
course for a full refund.
10/26 - Halloween Theme
12/9 - Christmas Theme
Course will be held in
Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookie, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 10/26 10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
ZCOK-113 500 | 4 seats left | $79 | |
| Monday, 12/9 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-113 501 | 0 seats left | $79 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Cake Decorating
Enjoy a sweet evening creating your very own decorated cake! A freshly made eight-inch cake will be provided for you decorate according to the example provided by the instructor. All tools and supplies will be provided as well, and you will get to bring home your creation to enjoy with your loved ones. Course fee includes $25 materials fee.
Course will be held in the
Sarah Diamond, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, 9/20 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-108 500 | 0 seats left | $49 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
Date Night
Enjoy an evening out of the house and away from the office, making dinner and dessert with your love. You will prepare a four-course menu to be enjoyed at the end of the class. Both participants must be registered to attend, so please call Division of Workforce Development and Community Education after 9/3 to register your date. Course fee includes $40 materials fee and is for one couple.
Course will be held in the
Sarah Diamond, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, 10/25 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
ZCOK-084 500 | 0 seats left | $65 | Section Full Call to be added to wait list |
How to Make Royal Icing
You have probably used royal icing to construct a gingerbread house, but have you ever tried to make it yourself Achieving the proper icing consistency is what seems to hold people back from decorating cookies with royal icing. It can be challenging when first learning how to make it, so this class aims to make the process easier so you can move right into the fun part of making cookies: decorating them! You will be taught how to make royal icing using meringue powder (not pasteurized egg whites). First, we will go over the recipe basics and then make the icing step by step. We will then break into groups so everyone can participate in making more batches of icing. After that we will divide the icing batches, color them with gel food coloring, and fill the take home containers. We will also go over the storage of the icing and uses for any leftovers. Students will go home with their freshly made icing, along with two ounces of meringue powder for their next batch at home, three different colors of gel food coloring, and pastry bags for piping, a $20 value. All supplies are provided. Students who need to withdraw must do so at least one week prior to the start of the class for a full refund.
Course will be held in the
Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookies, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 10/17 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
ZCOK-029 500 | 7 seats left | $74 |
Vegan Comfort Food for Fall
Who does not like to get comfy as the weather starts to chill? In this cooking class, we’ll create a piping hot bowl of tomato-herb soup and savory southwest burgers, finishing off with fudgy chocolate ice cream – all of it vegan! Join us for two and a half hours of hands-on cooking in lively social atmosphere, and delight in the delicious outcomes. Course fee includes $25 materials fee.
Course will be held in the
Olivia Townsend, Instructor
| Schedule | Section | Seats Left | Cost | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, 11/4 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
ZCOK-112 500 | 5 seats left | $59 |
Get in Touch
Division of Workforce Development and Community Education
Fax: (518) 629-8103
Regular Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer 2024 Hours (May 20 - July 26): Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Friday, Closed
(excluding college holidays and vacations)