The Women’s Food Alliance recently held its “Why I Like to Bake for My Family” cookie contest at Jax Kitchen in Jacksonville.
The grand prize winner was chosen out of 11 finalists at the July 16 event. Ashley Majesky, 9, from St. Johns, won the grand prize with her “Sprinkle of Sunshine” cookies and beach-themed presentation. Her winning essay states, “I love to bake for my family. When I bake, it makes me feel special and happy. They enjoy my cookies. My dad says he could eat a whole batch of them and I love to design the cookies too.”
The children came to Jax Kitchen with 12 cookies and at least one adult. Most attended with their parents and siblings watching from the sidelines. The “Why I Like to Bake for My Family” cookie competition inspired them to dream up tasty and unique cookies and presentations.
First runner-up Kate Foster, of Ponte Vedra, made “Terrific Toffee Cookies” and stated in her essay, “I like baking for my family because I like to make all kinds of delicious desserts for my family to make them happy and because it’s really fun. I can make things with different ingredients and they taste a different way. Mostly I bake because I think it makes my family smile a lot when I do it.”
Third runner-up Cole Carter, of Middleburg, made “Salted Chocolate Bombs” and wrote, “It’s my mom who got me into cooking. One day I volunteered to help her, and she made it so fun that I wanted to keep doing it with her. We get to make a mess while cooking DELICIOUS sweets. It’s a win/win, getting food and having fun!”
Each finalist received a swag bag from Sugar Snob Chocolates filled with culinary treasures, admission for their family to the Colonial Quarter & Pirate Museum in St. Augustine, an invitation to take a private tour of Flippin’ Good Cookies in Jacksonville and a kids meal at Your Pie in Tapestry Park.
The top three finishers also won Sunday brunch for four at the Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach.
As the grand prize winner, Majeskey received a two-night family vacation at one of the St. Francis Inn’s Lodgings in St. Augustine Beach, a party for 10 people at Your Pie-Southside in Tapestry Park and “The Everything Pizza” cookbook by Belinda Hulin.
