Author Anna Fain is a Baking and Pastry Arts major.
Spring semester at CIA can only mean one thing—the return of the annual Cookie Bake-Off! This beloved (and delicious) tradition brings students, faculty, and families together for a spirited day of friendly competition and sweet creations. This year, 12 teams of four students were challenged to create an original cookie recipe and bring it to life on a large scale—producing 800 bite-sized cookies for guests to enjoy and 12 full sized cookies for judging. Working within a $300 ingredient budget and $100 decoration budget, each team had to get creative.
Prior to the competition day, I had the opportunity to speak with several of the teams about what inspired them to compete. When I asked what motivated his team to compete, Matthew Nyandeng from Espresso Express shared “My team and I wanted to compete because we wanted to get the full CIA experience. This school has so much to offer, so we decided to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities. Along with the baking techniques we could learn from this competition, we would also acquire necessary skills involved with ordering ingredients for large scale production.”
Although technical skill played a large part in this competition, so did creativity. When asked what inspired her team’s recipe, Sofia Penaflor from the Sesame Street Señores explained that “We wanted to create something that pushed the boundaries on what could be considered a cookie. It is a churro-cookie fusion with both Asian and Hispanic inspired flavors. It’s our way of expressing our diverse cultural influences.”
Before they knew it, it was cookie prep day! The day before the competition, teams flooded the bakeshop, working to ensure every detail was just right. Students had from 8 a.m.–noon, working quickly to prepare their cookies, balancing precision, teamwork, and timing. Stations buzzed with activity as dough was mixed, portioned, and baked carefully in timed batches. Chef-instructors were there to offer a hand and to oversee all the work—adding expertise without taking away the student’s creative control.
Competition day began with final preparations before moving into the judging portion. Each team had to present their cookies to a panel of 12 judges, providing a brief explanation of their creation, from flavor inspirations to design choices. I got to speak with Chef Daniel Keehner ’97, who served as one of the judges, about his experience. “My main take away from the whole event was how much fun everyone was having but yet how serious they were taking it. No one was overly and obnoxiously, serious or cold. There was a great sense of camaraderie, and a real sense of fun. Everyone was very proud of what they’ve done and we’re really doing a great job of selling it and they were all so incredibly supportive of each other’s work, which is nice to see. Everyone was really having fun and having a great sense of community, which is really what it’s all about, no pretension whatsoever.”
Excitement peaked during the main event, as the Student Recreation Center transformed into an incredible showcase of all 12 teams. Booths lined up the space, each uniquely decorated to reflect the team’s concept. Friends, family, and students filled the room; each handed a “cookie passport” upon entry. Before trying each cookie, a volunteer would be waiting to stamp their passport, signifying that they had been to the booth. After tasting their way through the room, attendees got to cast their votes, not only for their favorite cookie, but also for the team that demonstrated the best showmanship.
Each booth offered something different, but my personal favorite was the winning cookie from The Big Apple Gals’—a chai-spiced base filled with Italian buttercream apple filling and finished with a caramel drizzle. It was a standout in both flavor and creativity. I also had the opportunity to speak with Catriona Strang, the team’s captain about their experience.
“I’ve never been in a baking competition before, but since coming to CIA, I’ve learned to push myself not only as a baker, but as a leader, student, and person. My team—Bethany, Megan, Kaitlin, and I—all met this past fall, and when we heard about the cookie competition, we knew it was something we wanted to be a part of. When we found out that we were one of the 12 teams that were chosen to compete, I squealed because not only was this a fun competition, but this was a fantastic opportunity to test my baking techniques, improve my time management, and work on my organizational skills. I had never done a production of this quantity before. My favorite part of the competition was day two of prep when we were assembling and finishing all the cookies. I had this intense rush of adrenaline knowing that we were able to achieve this immense production with a standard we could be proud of. Then when the last cookie was finished, I felt a rush of relief knowing we got the job done. On top of that, when the competition started, it brought me so much joy feeding the public and having their support with a cookie that we put so much love and energy into. It made all our hard work worth it. I am incredibly proud of my team and what we accomplished. Through all our challenges and pivots we were able to pull it all together and create a winning cookie!”
This event showcased not only the incredible talent within the CIA community, but also the dedication, creativity, and teamwork that defines the students here. From the very first stages of developing a cookie recipe to the final presentation, each team poured their passion for the craft into every detail. Whether they took home an award or not, every participant walked away with lasting memories, a new experience, and a deeper appreciation for their skills. At its core, the Cookie Bake-Off is a tradition like no other—and I can’t wait to see what creations next year’s competition will bring.
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