I have confessed my lack of kitchen skills to you guys on several occasions, but my one true kitchen talent is baking. I love to bake breads and muffins and cookies, and with the arrival of the holiday season I have already been hard at work testing new recipes. So my baking antennae went up when I read about an upcoming book launch and cooking class at Central Market. Join authors Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero on December 5 at 6:30 p.m. as they teach a class based on their new cookbook, Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has A Story.

The cookbook focuses on classic American recipes and the stories behind them: travel the country through Buffalo Chip Cookies, Cape Cod Blueberry Pie, Kentucky Jam Cake and Railroad Track Cookies. If you thought cookbooks were boring, you haven't read this one--I spent the weekend turning pages and giggling at the recipes' "secret ingredients" (halo, fancy holiday dress, Doppler radar). The authors have a fun sense of humor, and each recipe is illuminated with a rich backstory about its origins.

Reiner and Sanz-Agero have an interesting backstory themselves. The two women met when attending law school. Their shared love of sweets and baking led them to pursue their passion in the kitchen. Reiner is the founder of Momma Reiner's Fudge, selected as one of "Oprah's Favorite Things" in O Magazine, and in a previous life Jenna was the rock-n-roll front woman for the band Vixen.

Sugar, Sugar is fun to read and includes gorgeous pictures of every sort of confection. Some of my favorite parts of the book include:

• Chapter One "Let's Get Real": A short intro with information on equipment, technique, and the general realities of home baking. • Sugar Mommas Tips: Brief notes for each recipe that give tips on how to "sass it up," give the recipe a modern spin, and ingredient substitutions. • Notes: Best of all, each recipe has a lined space for you to take your own notes.

There are currently seats available for the December 5 cooking class at Central Market. Sign up for Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story with Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz Agero at the Central Market website, and see the authors demo recipes for Mint Bars, Boobie Cookies, Chocolate Cloud Cookies, Oatmeal Carmelitas and Cracked Sugar Cookies. The class is for ages 18+, and costs $55, which includes a copy of the cookbook. The Sugar, Sugar class takes place December 5 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Central Market, 3815 Westheimer.

You can find recipes or submit your own to Jenna and Kimberly at SugarSugarRecipes.com.