Dec 31, 2020

Inaugural Kids Christmas Cookie Bake Off 2020 + Winners!

Here is recap, as written by Emily Sparacino for the Shelby County Reporter:

During a holiday season that, like the majority of 2020, was different for many families, a local baking school brought a dash of cheer to children through a new event. The first Itty Bitty Bakers Kids Christmas Cookie Bake Off on Dec. 20 saw young bakers compete in three categories: Best Tasting Cookie, Most Festive Cookie and Most Unique Cookie. The contest served as a creative outlet and safe event for the nearly 20 kids who participated.

“Many kids didn’t get to see or visit their extended families this Christmas,” Itty Bitty Bakers Founder Jessica Hamby said. “Most kids were home-bound and stir crazy before Santa arrived. This bake off gave them the chance to work on a creative project and pass the time in a fun, new and safe way. We’d love to keep this going and do it every year and make it a new tradition for them – one that got started in 2020 of all years.”

Contestant Claire Conrad, the Best Tasting Cookie winner, said she wanted to make a cookie that made her think of Christmas, so she found a recipe she liked and then tweaked it. Conrad called her cookies “double hot chocolate peppermint marshmallow cookies.”

“When I brought my cookies to the judges, I felt nervous at first,” she said, “But once I started talking about my cookie I felt excited.”

Contestants presented their cookie creations to the judges on the afternoon of Dec. 20 at Hamby’s home in the Inverness area. Winners in the three categories each received a $25 Itty Bitty Bakers gift card.

“The kids really thought through their recipes, looking them up online and in cookbooks, and then often putting their own creative spin on them,” Hamby said. “Several parents told me the kids really took pride in their entry and worked hard doing it all on their own. Several parents also told me the kids had so much fun doing this event if they didn’t win, they loved being a part of it.”