Photo courtesy of Itty Bitty Bakers
Claire Conrad won the Itty Bitty Bakers 2020 Christmas Cookie Bakeoff with her “Double Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.”
The Itty Bitty Bakers company that teaches kids how to bake is having its second annual Christmas Cookie Bakeoff this Sunday, Dec. 19, at the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce.
Children ages 5-11 are invited to bring a plate of cookies they made themselves for review by a panel of judges between noon and 3 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce patio overlooking the Riverchase Galleria food court.
The children should bring at least four cookies labeled with the child’s name and the name of the cookie, and the cookies should be made with minimal help from adults, Itty Bitty Bakers owner Jessica Hamby said.
The cookies will be judged in three categories: best tasting, most festive and most unique. The judges also will select an overall winner that encompasses all three categories.
This year’s judges are Ramsey Nuss of Good Neighbor Baking, Ashley Brown of Ashley’s Famous Cookies and Adam Hickman of Foxhound Bee Co.
Children must be pre-registered to present their cookies to the judges and can register here through the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce website right up until the time of the event. The contest is free.
Acceptable cookie types include: sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, cookie cups, cut-out cookies, brownies, bars, blondies, sandwich cookies, whoopee pies and cake mix cookies.
Types of cookies not allowed include macarons, meringues, biscotti, wafer cookies, pizelles, cookie dough bites and decorated store-bought cookies.
Children can use any recipe they like, whether a family recipe from a parent or grandparent or one found online or in a cookbook, Hamby said.
“The main thing is that the kids go in the kitchen and bake the cookies — the experience of kids getting in the kitchen and making something and showing off what they made,” she said. “It’s just fun for the kids. They watch all these cooking shows on TV and everything.”
The contest also helps bring families together as parents and grandparents pass down cookie recipes from generations, Hamby said.
Kids will present their cookies to the judges on a disposable plate and state their name, the name of their cookie and their entry category. After all the cookies have been presented, the judges will taste the entries. Winners will be announced as soon as possible after the event, and prizes will be awarded.
Each category will have one winner who will receive a $50 Itty Bitty Bakers credit to be used on any class, camp or Itty Bitty Bakers merchandise.
About 25 children participated last year, and 29 children had registered for this year’s contest as of Thursday evening, Hamby said.
The contest gives kids a chance to practice public speaking and presentation skills, but children may have a parent or sibling with them to present to the judges if desired. Judging is not based on the verbal presentation, but on the cookies alone, organizers said.
Last year’s best all-around winner and winner of the best tasting category was Claire Conrad with “Double Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.” Emma Cooley won the most festive category with Christmas sugar cookies with buttercream frosting, and Hailey Duckett won most unique with Christmas tree wreath cookies.
For more information about the contest and directions to the judging area, go to the Itty Bitty Bakers website.
