Cookies that take the prize

Who won our holiday contest?

SouthtownStar - December 20, 2007
By Donna Vickroy, Staff Writer

All that's left are the crumbs. Last week, semifinalists in the SouthtownStar's Holiday Cookie Contest convened at our offices for final judging.

Semifinalist contestants, chosen from more than 50 recipes entered, came from across the Southland, each contestant toting her best cookie and vying for the chance to become a grand prize winner of a $100 gift certificate to Eurofresh Market in Tinley Park or a $25 runner-up gift certificate to Creative Cakes, also in Tinley Park.

In addition to SouthtownStar staffers, judges included Beth Fahey and Becky Palermo, owners of Creative Cakes; Javier Pena, general manager of Eurofresh Market; Joan Fleckenstein, co-owner of Fleckenstein's Bakery in Frankfort; Gloria Hafer, culinary arts director of the Washington RJD Culinary Institute; Vicky Solczak, former owner of Cake Pan Alley in Lansing.

The winners:
Decorated cookies: Hazelnut Espresso Truffle Cookies, by Cindy Beberman of Orland Park

Bar cookies: Libby Orlando of Oak Lawn.

Drop cookies: Jackee Graves of Homer Glen.

Runners-up were Diana Carlotto of Lansing, Nancy Ahlstedt of South Holland and Cindy Beberman again.

Beberman said she's been a contestant in cooking contests since 2000. "This is kind of a hobby," she said. "Every year I develop a new cookie."

Graves said she came across the foundation for her winning coconut cookie recipe year ago.

"I wasn't happy with all the ingredients, so I modified it," she said. "Since then, I've been baking it every Christmas. My father-in-law swears it's the best he's ever had. I give him a gift of cookies every year."