THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9411300020
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAT DOOLEY, FLAVOR EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
SUGAR AND SPICE and everything nice.
That's what holiday cookies are made of.
But the winning recipe in Flavor's Christmas Cookie Contest also blended maple syrup, cashews, butter, egg, vanilla and flour into a sweet, chewy square that earned 44 out of a possible 50 points from a panel of professional bakers.
The recipe, Maple Cashew Bars, was submitted by Joanne M. Thiele, a Virginia Beach wife and mom who cooks and bakes from scratch.
One of more than five dozen contest entrants, Thiele pocketed $100 for her efforts.
``I love to cook and I love to bake, and I'm always coming up with new things to eat,'' says Thiele.
She entered the contest - her first - on a whim, and created her prize-winner for the event, she says.
Thiele and husband Doug often cook together for themselves and their three teenagers. ``We're both great improvisers,'' she says.
Second place ($75) was awarded to Melissa Cole of Virginia Beach. Her Peppermint Christmas Cookies merged crushed peppermint candies and semisweet chocolate chips in a novel holiday approach.
Crystal Ham, also of Virginia Beach, won third place ($50) for her Snowy Dreams, a chocolate Kiss wrapped in a cookie dough that included sherry and pecans.
The winners were selected from among 12 finalists who recently were asked to prepare their cookies and deliver them to the newspaper offices. Here, a trio of judges sampled the cookies in a blind tasting, and rated each on taste, texture, appearance and originality.
The judges were Doris Bennett, co-owner of Naas Bakery in Norfolk; Deborah Marshall, executive director of Sugar Plum Bakery in Virginia Beach; and Patrick Reed, pastry chef/instructor and Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk.
The panelists closely eyed their samples. They turned them in their fingers, gingerly pulled them apart and delicately nibbled at interiors. They penciled in scores and comments, and occasionally compared impressions aloud.
The caramel-like texture and cashew-maple taste of Thiele's winning cookie elicited such written comments as ``very different,'' ``the savory offsets the sweet'' and ``rich, buttery taste.''
Cole's second-place crushed-candy entry was deemed ``very pepperminty,'' ``quaint'' and ``a good idea for the holidays.'' One judge suggested adding more chocolate to the lone semisweet chip atop the cookie.
Ham's third-place Snowy Dreams were ``good, round, uniform,'' one judge wrote. ``An interesting combination of ingredients and flavors,'' said another. ``Good sherry taste; it's not overpowering.''
One judge suggested baking the cookies a bit longer - ``It's a little bit doughy'' - or adding the Kiss to the top of the cookie instead of baking it inside.
The other nine finalists also fared well, with cookies of various shapes, colors and adornments. They drew such comments as ``unusual,'' ``nice,'' ``good combinations,'' ``distinct flavor'' and ``festive looking.''
Earning honorable mentions were: Angel Wings, from Laura Zick-Bottorff, Norfolk; Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, from Joey Ann Fowkes, Chesapeake; Snow White Cookies from Gayle Nicholas Scott, Chesapeake; Persimmon Cookies, from Karen Silva, Virginia Beach; Alfajores, from Judith Matthias, Virginia Beach; Cherry Bombs, from Diane Palmer, Virginia Beach; Chocolate Almond Biscotti, from Donna Jagoe, Virginia Beach; Vanilla Almond Egg Nog Sugar Cookies, from Dale R. Donahoo, Virginia Beach; Italian Chocolate Cookies, from Mary F. Anderson, Virginia Beach.
Of the 68 entries, most were from Virginia Beach and most were from women.
Ingredients included:
The basics - flour, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, butter, margarine, shortening, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, cashews.
Fruits - raisins, coconut, maraschino cherries, lemon rind, persimmon pulp, pineapple, chopped dates.
Spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger.
Dairy - whole milk, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, eggs.
Candies - toffee bits, M&Ms, chocolate chips, caramels, peppermints, chocolate-covered cherries, white-chocolate chips.
Miscellaneous - pancake syrup, potato chips, corn syrup, peanut butter, cereal, biscuit mix, oatmeal, cocoa, molasses, rum, black walnut extract, sherry, raspberry jam, banana pudding mix.
Here are the finalists' recipes, and our thanks to all who participated. [cookies recipes follow] ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photos by Richard Dunston
[cookies on a plate]
The Judges
Patrick Reed, Instructor , Johnson & Wales University
Deborah Marshall, Executive Director, Sugar Plum Bakery
Doris Bennett, co-owner, Naas' Bakery
KEYWORDS: COOKIE CONTEST by CNB