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.

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Courses

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. 

2/11 - Valentine's Theme

3/27 - Easter Theme

4/10 - Easter Theme

4/24 - Spring Theme

Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06

Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookie, Instructor

Beginner Cookie Decorating
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Tuesday, 2/11
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-023 600 24 seats left $69Opens 1/22
Thursday, 3/27
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-023 601 24 seats left $69Opens 1/22
Thursday, 4/10
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-023 602 24 seats left $69Opens 1/22
Thursday, 4/24
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-023 603 24 seats left $69Opens 1/22

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. 

2/13 - Valentine Theme

4/7 - Easter Theme

Course will be held in Daycare Center, Room B06

Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookie, Instructor

Beginner Cookie Decorating Plus
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Thursday, 2/13
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-113 600 24 seats left $79Opens 1/22
Monday, 4/7
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-113 601 24 seats left $79Opens 1/22

Cupcake Decorating

In this class, you will learn how to fill and use a decorating bag, as well as how to use a variety of piping tips to decorate cupcakes and cakes with borders, flowers, balloons and more. You will decorate six cupcakes over two sessions using decorating bags, candy and other supplies and can take those supplies home. All supplies are provided. Students who have to withdraw must do so at least one week prior to the start of the course for a full refund. 

Course will be held in DCC, Room B05

Tara Connors, Instructor

Cupcake Decorating
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Tuesdays, 4/29 - 5/6
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-109 600 20 seats left $109Opens 1/22

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 2/10 to register your date. Course fee includes $45 materials fee and is for one couple. 

Course will be held in the Day Care Center, Room 135

Sarah Diamond, Instructor

Date Night
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Friday, 3/28
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ZCOK-084 600 6 seats left $70Opens 1/22

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 Day Care Center, Room 135

Cindy Burek of Buttercup Cookies, Instructor

How to Make Royal Icing
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Tuesday, 3/25
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
ZCOK-029 600 12 seats left $74Opens 1/22

Spring Time Vegan Cooking

Here Comes the Sun! – Vegan for Spring Lovers. After this long, cold winter, how about some sun on your plate? Enjoy light corn-plantain cakes, topped with tart lemon cream, coupled with a fresh chicory-strawberry salad and broccoli slaw. Join us for 2 ½ hours of hands-on cooking in a lively social atmosphere, and delight in the delicious outcomes! Here comes the sun… and I say, it’s alright! Course fee includes $25 materials fee.

Course will be held in  Daycare Building, Room 135

Olivia Townsend, Instructor

Spring Time Vegan Cooking
Schedule Section Seats Left Cost Register
Monday, 4/28
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
ZCOK-098 600 12 seats left $59Opens 1/22

Get in Touch

Division of Workforce Development and Community Education

Fitzgibbons Health Technologies Center, Room 334

Fax: (518) 629-8103

Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (excluding college holidays and vacations)