Holiday Cookie Contest seeking your creations
Sunny with a high of 75 is not serious fall weather, but the recent dips in temperature are enough to remind us that autumn is on its way — and bringing with it comes one of our favorite fall traditions: the Journal Sentinel Holiday Cookie Contest.
Judging will take place the week of Oct. 22, giving you just five weeks to dream up your entries.
The 11th annual competition has three new categories:
Nut Butter Explosion: Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or any other nut butter should star in this cookie. It can take any form and can include other flavors, but the nut butter flavor should be discernible.
Sweet ’n’ Salty: Who doesn’t love this combination? The trick here is to hit just the right level of salty notes, whether from salt crystals sprinkled on top or another salty ingredient.
Layered Wonders: Interpret “layers” any way you wish. We’re looking for stacking that harmoniously mixes flavors, textures and/or colors in a delicious, attractive way.
Open Class: This returning category is for any other kind of holiday cookie you wish to enter. Make it your very best!
Prizes
First-place awards will be given in each category. A Best of Show cookie — chosen from the four category winners — brings a $125 prize; the other three will be ranked second, third and fourth and awarded $75, $50 and $25, respectively.
All four winners also will receive two tickets to the 2019 Wine & Food Experience, the annual eating and drinking extravaganza sponsored by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Best of Show winner, in addition, will be asked to serve as a guest judge in the 2019 contest.
All runners-up will receive a cookbook.
Rules and procedures
1. Limit of three total entries per person.
2. Recipes and cookies must be labeled with the category and entrant’s name.
3. Entries must be original or at least partially so. If adapted from another recipe, the source must be listed, and the changes noted. At least three significant changes should be made.
4. Ingredients should be listed in order of use, and directions should be clear and complete.
5. Entrants must bring their baked cookies (one dozen), clearly marked with their name, address and contact information (including daytime phone number), to the Journal Sentinel lobby, 333 W. State St., between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. any day from Oct. 22 through Oct.
25. Containers will not be returned. If the cookie needs to be refrigerated, please note that on the outside.
6. Each entry must include a printout of the recipe. In addition, whenever possible, a digital version also must be submitted. Send in an email to nstohs@journalsentinel.com by Oct. 25, or submit with your cookies on a CD or thumb drive.
7. Entries will be judged on taste, appearance, festiveness, originality and overall appeal.
8. The Journal Sentinel reserves the right to alter categories based on the number and type of entries received, or to move cookies from one category to another.
The winning recipes, runners-up and selected other finalists will be published in a special Cookie Edition of the Food section on Dec. 5 and posted online.
Questions? Call Nancy Stohs at (414) 224-2382 or email her at journalsentinel.com.
Happy baking, and good luck!