Newton’s DMACC launches Kitchen Workshops

Learning how to roll dough or how to decorate a cake with elegant flowers are just a few techniques attendees can master during Newton DMACC’s Kitchen Workshops this spring.

The classes will focus on using homemade and fresh ingredients to make cinnamon rolls, croissants, pies and quiche. The first workshop is from 6 to 8 p.m. March 8 will feature cake decorating.

With the classes being open to the community, seats have filled rapidly with spots only available in the cinnamon roll class and the pies and quiche class, according to Culinary Arts Instructor Ryan Binney. He even had to create a second cake decorating class for March 29 because of the high interest.

This is the first year the Iowa Culinary Arts Institute in Newton has held public workshops. Binney said he decided to launch the program after receiving feedback at the farmers’ market in downtown Newton where he had a booth set up.

“This past summer I had a lot of people ask if they could just learn one or two things and take just one class,” Binney said. “I talked with our continuing education department to see if setting up these classes was possible.”

According to feedback from people that Binney talked with, there is a lot of interest in learning how to bake from scratch and how to use a rolling pin again. He said no one needs to be nervous about taking the classes because no kitchen experience is required and there will also be step-by-step instructions.

Binney said during the cake decorating class he will have to ask everyone’s experience level before beginning. The course will include how to do butter cream decorations, how to ice a cake correctly and how to write letters on a cake.

Before coming to DMACC in Newton 2.5 years ago, Binney owned a bakery in the Clive area, and he is happy to see people are excited about learning.

“I think the main thing will be establishing confidence so they will feel comfortable trying this at home,” Binney said. “They might get hung up on the little things like how to use yeast and they don’t know how to get passed it. I think I will be able to show a couple little tricks to make it easier.”

For other participants, Binney said people are just curious about how things are made and they think it’s fun to give it a whirl.

“They might not make cinnamon rolls every weekend but they will know the right way,” Binney said. “You see less and less of people making things from scratch ... people are using mixes and pre-made things. I think when you make things yourself the quality is going to be better.”

Based on the positive response of the workshops, Binney said he is looking to add to DMACC’s continued educations classes, and he is planning to offer more kitchen workshops this coming summer and fall.

“We are looking to enhance DMACC’s presence here in town, and we hear all the time about people not knowing we offer the culinary arts program,” he said. “We want to bring people in from other areas like Ankeny and Des Moines.”

The classes are $40 each. Attendees will receive a recipe book, and the first 15 who enroll in each class will receive a blue apron.

Workshops available to sign up for are How to Create Homemade Cinnamon Rolls at 6 to 8 p.m. on March 22 or Pie and Quiche at 6 to 8 p.m. April 19. To register, call 515-964-6800 or online at ce.dmacctraining.com

Contact Kayla Singletary at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or ksingletary@newtondailynews.com