Three sweet treats won Junior Baker prizes in the Pioneer Christmas Cookie Contest
CLAYTON, CA—[Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2013 Clayton Pioneer. These three recipes took the top 3 prizes for Junior Bakers from 6 to 15 years old. The Pioneer Christmas Cookie Contest ran for more than 10 years in Clayton, CA, and we had a lot of fun doing them. For the full 2013 article and the Master Baker winning recipes, click here.]
Cookies have been part of Western culture for more than 13 centuries, rapidly spreading out from Persia (ancient Iran). That’s where farmers first cultivated cane for sugar. Originating as thin wafers, actually bits of cake batter placed in an oven to test its temperature, cookies became essential to bakers. The sweet little cakes took the name “koekje” from the Dutch, eventually Anglicized into the “cookie” we so revere today.
Here are 3 prize winning recipes from young Clayton Bakers. Warning, they are delicious and also fun to make.
McKenah Alton came in tops in the Junior Baker category with A Little Slice of Heaven. This confection included a graham cracker, chocolate and peppermint.
First Place, Junior Baker
McKenah Alton, age 11 (in 2013)
A Little Slice of Heaven
- Baking spray or parchment paper
- One box of graham crackers
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate morsels
Pre-heat oven 350°F.
Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Cover cookie sheet with a layer of whole graham crackers.
In small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Pour over graham crackers.
Place cookie sheet in oven for 8 min or until bubbly. Remove from oven, pour 12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate morsels on top. Let them melt, then use a flat spatula or knife to spread over graham crackers.
Add any topping – sprinkles, crushed candy, etc. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet.
Then place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Break into pieces when frozen and freeze in an airtight container
Second Place, Junior Baker
Joanna Rogers, age 8 (in 2013)
Reindeer Cookies
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- Cinnamon and sugar (opt.)
Also need: Chocolate covered pretzels, Eyeball Candies, Red spice drops and some frosting.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Add baking powder and flour one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
Dough will be stiff. Do not chill dough. Roll out onto floured surface and cut using an egg shaped cookie cutter.
Place each cookie on cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake on middle rack of oven for 12 minutes or until done. Let cool about one minute and carefully transfer to cool surface.
Firmly press 2 chocolate covered pretzels onto each cookie. Allow to cool completely. Dab a small amount of frosting on eyeballs and spice drops to decorate each cookie.
Third Place, Junior Baker
Sara Mieczkowski, age 14 (in 2013)
Sara’s Snicker Bars
- 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
- ½ cup butterscotch chips, divided
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup marshmallow cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 ½ cups dry-roasted peanuts
- 40 caramels, melted slowly with 4 Tablespoons water
Melt and spread 1 cup chocolate chips, ¼ cup butterscotch chips and ¼ cup peanut butter in a buttered 9” x 13” pan. Let cool.
Boil sugar, milk and butter for 5 minutes to soft ball stage. Add marshmallow cream, half the peanut butter and vanilla.
Pour over first layer. Sprinkle peanuts over 2nd layer. Melt together caramels and hot water, and pour over peanuts. Melt 1 cup choc chips, 1/4 butterscotch chips and remaining peanut butter and spread over caramel layer. Cool and cut into squares.
From Trinity Lutheran Church Centennial Cookbook (Iowa), but compiled from “Recipe Hall of Fame Dessert cookbook” Brownies and Bars.
For the full 2013 Clayton Pioneer article and the winning recipes for Master Bakers, click here.