What’s cooking at Colonia’s popular Country Cow (www.countrycow.com) ice cream parlor? Plenty, if you skip past the ice cream into the spacious back room.

Country Cow co-owner Ed Dubroski is known for offerings  like his twinkie ice cream and for creating specialty flavors for Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. But under the careful tutelage of Ed’s sister — a real teacher — the  ice cream parlor also offers cooking classes to kids as young as three years old.

It looks like a first grade classroom. There are colorful posters, teaching different kinds of measurements. There are all different shaped cake pans and a long table for the young chefs. Armed with wooden pins, cookie sheets, fresh dough and M&Ms, a group of youngsters was busy rolling and shaping peanut butter cookies.

The lessons cost $16 each, or you can buy a series. There’s usually a seasonal theme. This week they’ll be making Irish Flag cookies; next week, Easter egg cupcakes. There’s even a summer camp program, and classes for moms and dads to cook together, along with grandparents.

It’s a cool way to spend an afternoon with the kids — only you can sit out front and leisurely sample Ed’s flavor of the month while they stir, shape, and bake. And you don’t have to clean up afterwards. That may be the best reason of all to bring your kids to cook at The Cow.