Without a noticeable change of seasons, Angelenos cling to one thing to get in the holiday spirit: food! Of course, there’s no shortage of LA restaurants, cupcake shops and candy stores that you can enjoy every day of the season, but we all know an overpriced bag of cookies or a boutique cupcakery isn’t sweet for the wallet. For the best holiday eats in bulk, with picture-perfect decoration, we look to LA’s cooking schools. Check out these 6 cooking classes that will help you master holiday cooking, from Halloween macarons to Thanksgiving pies and ‘Christmahannukwanzadan’ cookie decorating.
1. Boo! Halloween French Macarons at Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories: The art of macarons amazes and evades us all. Learn how to master the basics of the Parisian delicacy, with a side of Halloween scares. This class leaves you with pumpkin- and ghost-shaped vanilla macarons, marshmallow filling and dark chocolate ganache. Takes place October 30 at 10am. Price: $85.
2. I Ain’t No Turkey! at HipCooks: Take this class and you’ll know how to give your Thanksgiving faves a modern twist while creating the bottomless supply of turkey day leftovers your lunchbox needs. Take the pumpkin pie and model it into a pumpkin soufflé with cognac cream, or spice up your cranberry sauce with some ginger and orange. Takes place November 20 from 6-9pm (East LA location) and November 17 from 6:30-9:30pm (West LA location). Price: $65.
3. Holiday Pies and Tarts at Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom: Pies and tarts always have their moment, and we’re not just talking about pumpkin pies and apple crumbles. Learn how to whip up a berry pie with a flaky graham cracker crust and a mango tart with ginger cream. You’ll never shy away from making a pie crust from scratch again. Takes place November 7 from 10am-1pm. Price: $100.
4. A Classic Southern Thanksgiving at EATZ: Rich, savory, velvety, southern-comfort food all in your own LA kitchen?! You get a crash course in how it’s done at EATZ. Don’t skimp on the beloved butter as you recreate southern favorites like the cornbread dressing and tilt a glass of spiked cranberry apple cider while you cook. Takes place November 22 from noon-4pm. Price: $150.
5. Holiday Cookie Decorating at Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories: Set aside three hours for this class and you'll have a collection of Insta-perfect, magazine-ready cookies you’ll be heartbroken to eat. You’ve always wondered how to perfect your piping and frosting skills, and here’s your chance to master the chocolate ganache, royal icing and every trick in the book complements of owner and chef Clemence. Takes place October 30 at 2:30pm. Price: $85.
6. New Year’s Food: Osechi at Food Story: If Asian cuisine for the holidays is more your flavor, learn to make the traditional New Year’s foods of Japan called Osechi. Cooked to last a few days, these dishes require tedious, diligent culinary prowess. But you don’t need any experience to get in on the egg rolls, umami, and Matsukaze-yaki craze in this class. Takes place December 27 at 11am and December 30 at 6:30pm. Price: $80.