Morris classes take the baker beyond pie
Can't face serving the same holiday desserts this year? Morris bakers are offering classes to inspire home cooks to think beyond pumpkin pie.
At Carlo's Bake Shop in Morristown, students will first don a Carlo's apron and watch as cake decorators demonstrate how to make one of the fancy fondant creations for which its owner, "Cake Boss" Budd Valastro, is known.
From Nov. 13 through Dec. 17, five classes are being offered in how to make a Fall Fondant Leaf Cake, Thanksgiving Cake, Snowman Head Cake, and a Winter Snowflake Cake.
SEE PHOTOS: >> http://dailyre.co/1qDvlDR
"Carlo's provides a baked, iced cake – half vanilla, half chocolate, fudge in the middle — that serves up to 10 people," said Gabrielle Parisi, classes and event manager. "The colors are pre-cut for people. They get everything they need to make that cake. It's just like playing with Play-Doh."
After watching the live demo for a particular cake pictured online, people spend an hour-and-a-half working on their own cakes. They're encouraged to use their imaginations and deviate from the master design, if they'd like.
Afterwards, each participant brings home his or her own apron and cake in a Carlo's Bakery box. The Thanksgiving Cake class takes place the day before the holiday, so freshness is not a problem.
Even so, Parisi said, when refrigerated, the cakes last a good while.
SEE ALSO: >> Thanksgiving 101: Morris chefs share their secrets for festive feasting http://dailyre.co/1ulnPCt
Looking ahead to Christmas, there are plenty of other classes that teach how to make innovative desserts.
On Nov. 16, at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township, Chef and Horticulture Program Specialist Cynthia Triolo will demonstrate the techniques needed to make Buche de Noel (Yule Log Cake), one of the ultimate Christmas desserts. The Buche de Noel is filled with a chestnut buttercream, finished in chocolate buttercream, and decorated with holiday marzipan ornamental flourishes.
On Nov. 17, What's Cooking in East Hanover is offering a Christmas Dessert class, which will cover making baklava, chocolate-covered apples, and three other desserts.
"It's a ladies' night out," said Marianne Fiore of What's Cooking, "the kind of event where you bring wine and have a good time."
Katie Straub, of Cake Pops by Katie in Basking Ridge, will teach how to make "Cake Pops for Thanksgiving" on Nov. 17 and "Cake Pops for the Holiday Season" Dec. 15. Though offered through The Adult School of The Chathams, Madison, and Florham Park, the sessions will be presented at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge.
"I first made cake pops, as a little something extra, for an event I was working on," said Straub, who is a food stylist and event planner. "Before I knew it, another business had popped up, no pun intended."
Straub, who makes the pops year round and for all occasions, customizes the colors, containers, and flavors. They come in chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, Oreo truffle, peanut butter truffle, lemon, and carrot cake, to name a few flavors.
For the holidays, Cake Pops by Katie come in flavors like pumpkin spice, gingerbread, chocolate mint, and candy cane. There are also sugar-free and gluten-free versions.
"All our cakes and frostings are made from scratch," Straub said, "although in the class I recommend a boxed cake mix to start people's cake pop experience."
SEE ALSO: >> Recipes for a festive Thanksgiving and holiday season http://dailyre.co/1ulqA6H
On Dec. 6, the County College of Morris Cooking School in Randolph will present "Holiday Cookie Workshop" with Suzanne Lowery, a graduate of the New York Restaurant School who has worked as a pastry chef at several New York and New Jersey locations.
For specifics about all these classes, see the listing of dozens of local holiday-related cooking classes and demos in today's TABLE section. Also featured are Morris chefs' tips and recipes on how to prepare a whole Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, side dishes, and drinks.
Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; lash@njpressmedia.com