By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Sure, the bakers were the stars Monday evening at the annual Holiday Bake-Off at the Wood County District Public Library.
But don’t sell the cookie samplers short.
There is skill in the stacking of cookies and bars five deep or more on small paper plates.
And while the bakers stole the limelight, the tasters decided the victors with their sticky, frosting laden fingertips as they voted for the top goodies. One woman, who declined to give her name, balanced a tower of cookies on her plate, diligently working her way down to find a victor.
“I’ve got my eye on one of the sugar cut-out cookies,” she said. “I just like cookies. No pie for me,” and no nuts or coconut. “The others have a chance.”
(Editor’s note: In complete honesty, some areas of my chocolate smudged notes were a little difficult to read by the end of the evening.)
Some of the tasters had years of sampling sweets under their belts – which were a little tighter after Monday’s bake-off.
“I’m almost 90 years old, so I’ve eaten a lot of cookies,” said Paul Krohn, noting that his favorite at the bake-off so far was the gingerbread. Further questioning revealed some nepotism involved, with the gingerbread being baked by his granddaughter and her husband, Jac and Matt Krohnhiser.
“I can smell them,” Jac said of her “Gingie Boiz.” “I always figure if you can smell them from two feet away, they are good.”
In all, 35 bakers braved being judged by a crowd experienced in holiday sweets. There were chocolate crinkle peppermints, hot chocolate macaroons, pumpkin spice latte cookies, lemon bars, coffee toffee and Grinch muffins.
And the samplers sacrificed their skinny jeans to make a tough decision on the best baked goods. They could taste all they wanted, but had just five tickets to vote for their favorites.
In the “super secret board room” of the library, Marnie Pratt and other library employees counted the ballots.
When the votes were counted, it was Kathy Sweeney that came out on top with her cranberry-orange cookies with pecans and orange glaze.
“I was still baking cookies at 4 p.m.,” Sweeney confessed. First she made two batches of pecan sandies, suggested by her sister, Nancy Hess. But as the competition neared, Sweeney wanted something that packed a bigger punch. Her last minute switch seemed to pay off.
Coming in at second place was Rachel Sizer, who baked up a batch of chocolate chip cookies with a twist of added oatmeal.
“So they are healthy,” said Mrs. Claus.
During the initial ballot count, it appeared there was a tie for second place. But after due diligence with a recount, Sizer came in second. This was her first time in a cookie competition, but the recipe is one of her standbys.
“I made it for my co-workers and they love it,” she said. And as an extra bonus, “I brought them fresh out of the oven.”
For Sweeney, her first place victory came after her second place finish in last year’s bake-off. She’s already contemplating what her next competitive cookie will be.
“I’ve only been baking three years,” Sweeney said. But she is a fast learner – which members of her church have discovered.
“Folks can find her cookies every Sunday after church in the fellowship hall,” said Pastor Jeff Schooley, of First Presbyterian Church.
Down the row from Sweeney and Sizer were Taylor Bohn and her daughter, Olivia, who baked up a batch of “Grandma’s sugar cookies,” tugging at the heartstrings of tasters.
“My brother’s girlfriend is my competition,” said Bohn, referring to Sizer.
Several bakers tried to spice up their recipes for the bake-off.
Hillary Anderson whipped up some peppermint mocha espresso bites. “This is a recipe I’ve been tweaking with.”
Andi Haas baked ginger and maple cookies, plus toffee and coffee cookies. “They’re not typical Christmas cookies,” she said, as she watched the crowd swarm the samples. “I had no idea,” she said.
And Chrissy Sheppard tempted tasters with her strawberry cheesecake sugar cookies, with homemade strawberry jam, cream cheese and cookies. “Their faces light up when they see them,” she said.
Mitchell Arnwine noticed that one baker seemed to tempt tasters with more than the cookie’s appearance. “Her strategy is great. You can smell them when you come into the room,” he said.
Some packed a surprise for the samplers.
Like Elizabeth Geisman, whose cookies looked like chocolate chip, but she also snuck in orange and sea salt. “I try to give them a heads up before they bite in,” she said. “I’m tripping a lot of people out.”
In addition to stacked sugar cookie Christmas tree cookies, Hazel and Emarie Headley also baked some Grinch cookie muffins. Like the Grinch himself, each green muffin had a tiny heart on top – but baked inside was a surprise chocolate kiss.
Mike Sibbersen, not a baker himself, was partial to the lemon bars, and lamented the fact that he would not be able to sample all the baked goods.
“It’s really fun and very well attended,” he said of the event.
Anna Fowler was at the bake-off because she has three children who play piano – with one of them among the young students serenading the crowds with Christmas carols. Fowler managed to resist the baked goods.
“But my children ate enough for my share,” Fowler said. Her son, Kortland, 11, estimated he had five cookies – but his mom quickly added another three to his total.
“They think this event is great,” she said. “They said they didn’t find anything they didn’t like.”
