Southern Baking

A hands-on in-person cooking class. Alongside the baked goods, a seasonal salad and vegetarian chili will be served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. Masks are welcome.

Southern Baking, known for its towering layer cakes, cornbread, and ever-so-tender biscuits, reflects the rich, multi-ethnic influence of Native American, European, and African cultures. In this class, you will bake iconic Southern dishes, some with a modern twist. While this class will focus on valuable techniques for the home baker, like making pie dough, custard, and quick breads, Jennifer will also pepper in some history and food science. All of these delicious classics can become part of your repertoire year-round!

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Skillet Cornbread

• Corn still predominates in Southern baking more than anywhere in the US. Rich, moist, and lightly sweetened, this cornbread is baked in a hot skillet and is the perfect accompaniment to a big bowl of chili or soup or simply enjoyed on its own with butter. 

Four-Layer Walnut Coffee Cake

• This is a fantastic cake for breakfast, brunch, or with your afternoon tea or coffee. It has four layers of a rich sour cream cake, filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Lemon Chess Pie

• Chess pie is the classic Southern pastry, rich, sweet, and intense. The name is a corruption of cheese - a British word for curd. The addition of buttermilk and cornmeal makes this pie distinctly Southern.

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

• This bread pudding will transport you to The French Quarter with a classic combination of French bread, vanilla custard, and bourbon-soaked raisins baked to perfection, and served with a rich bourbon sauce.

Cicada Shells 

• These baked pralines or praline cookies are delicate little confections, all puffed, brown, and crackly just like cicada shells.

This menu contains the following common allergens: Egg, Tree Nuts, Dairy, Wheat. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Jennifer Altman began her culinary journey at age eight baking and cooking for her family and friends. After a career in science, she followed her passion and became a pastry chef. She is now a culinary instructor teaching both professional and amateur cooks nationally and internationally. She loves anything to do with food—cooking, gardening, recipe developing, teaching, and is particularly interested in food