Cooking Class - Baking Festive Cookies

Chef Joe is the best!! From attending his cooking classes to catering my daughters wedding, everything Joe does is world class!! His food always tastes great and looks fantastic! My highest recommendations always for Joe the Baker!!

I requested Joe Baker’s services for a marketing event that was held in a model home in a brand new home community.  Joe had so many exciting ideas and was very hands on in helping with the planning process.  Having never hosted an event like this before, I relied on Joe’s suggestions and expertise…and I’m so glad I did!  The event had a dessert and wine tasting theme.  Joe made several sweet and savory treats and even surprised us by bringing some delicious local cheeses.  The food was delicious and really impressed the guests because it was stuff that we’ve never heard of or tasted before!  Joe also performed a live glazing demo at the kitchen island and invited everyone to crowd around.  His infectious personality and quick wit are contagious.  Everyone was engaged! The event was a great success and everyone had a blast.  With the timing of the event being before the holidays we were able to incorporate a pumpkin bread recipe as well as a sample of the pumpkin bread to guests.  I cannot wait to have an opportunity to do something like this again!

I was very excited and nervous to have Chef Baker teach some friends and myself about the Italian method of making French macarons. I was excited because I had purchased and enjoyed his French macarons and knew how delicious they were. I was nervous only because I had previously taken a class on French macarons, but each time I attempted them at home I came away in tears because they cracked, they were hollow, and/or they were too crispy... I was able to ask specific questions regarding my past experiences and Chef Baker was so kind and patient to address them so that I could understand them... [now my macarons] have perfect feet and smooth shells. There is not one crack in the bunch. I am beyond pleased that I had the instruction of Chef Baker... on the path to the perfect French macaron.

had the pleasure of taking a macaron class from Joe while I was in Texas for Christmas. I own my own bakery, so I had very high hopes for this class. I have wanted to introduce macarons into our lineup, but have been intimidated by my previous experiences making these cookies. After taking Joe's class, I am much more confident in producing such a wonderful product. He taught us techniques that make a consistent, beautiful, and decadent product. He does so in a manner that is easy enough for everybody, novice or professional, to understand. Thanks to Joe, we are now one of the only places in Idaho to offer these wonderful items! Joe more than met my expectations with his class, he exceeded them!

I love to bake and have been eyeing advanced pastry instruction for a while, [but] all I’ve found are places out of town that were prohibitively expensive. I told Joe what I wanted to cover and he developed a curriculum and got all the ingredients. I got one on one instruction in a fully equipped commercial kitchen. But most of all Joe is a great teacher who knows his stuff. If you haven’t guessed by now I think you should take a class from him.