Burger and Shaw’s Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookie came in first place in this year’s Christmas Cookie contest.

Their delicious cookie won the hearts taste buds of each of the judges and earned them the number one spot and a $25 gift card from our sponsor, Bake Shop Bakes in Tyrone.

“We put our blood sweat and tears into making these bad boys and stayed up all night long perfecting them,” said Shaw.

Their cookies received a total score of 113 out of 125 points.

“We chose this cookie because who doesn’t like hot chocolate on a cold snowy day with peppermint, so we decided to mix it up and make it a cookie. We have a lot of chemistry together and knew that if we came together to make some bomb Peppermint Hot Chocolate cookies we would obviously win,” said Burger.

These two friends are competitive and love to bake, so they were confident that they would win the contest.

“When we get together to make cookies it’s like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. Get your signatures now because we’re gonna be on Halloween Wars someday in the future,” said Burger.

Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 cup of sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp peppermint extract

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp salt

1 tsp of baking soda

1 package milk chocolate chips

1 cup marshmallow creme

1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions:

1. Mix butter & sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in egg & extract. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt & baking soda into a different bowl & gradually add it to the creamed mixture
2. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until tops are cracked. put the cookies on wire racks to cool.
3. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips & the the marshmallow creme. Use a spoon & on the top of the cookie do half chocolate & half marshmallow & sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy on top. Place on waxed paper & let them set.

Myers’ white chocolate chip walnut coconut cookies were “made with love” and received second place in the contest.

The cookies were very unique and a grand thing to taste getting a 105/125 score on our scoring rubric.

Myers was concerned if the judges drank milk with the cookies because she said: “milk always makes cookies better.”

Myers made the cookie because they are one of her family’s favorites.

White Chocolate Walnut Coconut Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3.4 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ bag of white chocolate chips

½ bag of sweetened coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Using a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, at least 3 minutes. Do not skip this step. Once combined, add the pudding mix, vanilla and eggs and beat on high for 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and turn the mixer on low to start so the flour doesn’t get everywhere. Turn the mixer up to high and mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and repeat until dough is just combined. Add white chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts and stir till just combined.

Drop cookies by spoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden and just set on the top. Cool on the baking sheet for two minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Ms. Young’s sugar cookies took third place with the softest and chewiest sugar cookies you have ever tasted.

The recipe has used for years by Young, they were her Grandmother’s favorite Christmas Cookie.

On our scoring rubric, these tasty cookies received a 104/125.

The reason Young entered was because of her love for competition.

Grandma’s Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups of flour

1 tsp. of baking soda

1/2 tsp. of salt

1 1/4 cups of margarine

2 cups of granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. of vanilla

dash of cinnamon (just add as much as desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together room-temperature margarine & sugar
4. Beat vanilla & eggs into the cream mixture one at a time
5. Mix dry ingredients into the wet in increment
6. Roll into 1/4 inch balls. place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper & cook for 8-10 minutes

   

The following honorable mentions were all delicious as well:

Sophomores Madison Beamer and Danielle Heichel

Banana nut cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 1/2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cups shortening

1 egg

1 cup mashed banana

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Put in shortening. Add egg, bananas rolled oats and chocolate pieces. drop by spoon fulls onto ungreased cookie sheets. bake in a moderately hot oven (400 degrees) about 15 minutes

Eagle Eye Adviser Todd Cammarata

Grandma Cammarata’s chocolate chip cookies

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups butter

2 packages vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

2 teaspoons real vanilla

4 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden.

Sophomore Steven Sessamen

No-bake peanut butter blossom cookies

INGREDIENTS:

26 Hershey’s Hugs Brand Candies

1-½ cups of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

1 cup of Hershey’s Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate

½ cup of Honey

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

5 cups of cornflakes cereal

DIRECTIONS: 

Line cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper remove wrappers from candies; set aside.

Place peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, honey and butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) for one minute; stir. If necessary, Microwave at high an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and the mixture is blended when stirred. Gradually stir in cereal flakes, stirring until cereal is completely coated with the chip mixture.

Scoop 26 equal portions onto prepared sheet; shape into mounds. Place candy piece (Hershey’s Hugs) in the center of each mound. Allow to firm about 30 minutes before serving. Store, covered in dry, cool place. Makes 26 cookies.

Senior Izaiah Miller

Chocolate chip s’more cookies

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookies:

1 ½ cups of butter, softened

1 cup packed brown

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. kosher salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

For the s’more:

8 graham crackers

8 marshmallows

4 (1.55-oz.) Hersheys bar, broken into squares of 4 pieces.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lines two large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make cookie dough: In a large bowl using an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer), beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly beat in vanilla extract and eggs until evenly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into butter and sugar mixture until just combined, then fold in chocolate chips.

Make s’mores: Cut each marshmallow in half lengthwise. Sandwich halved marshmallow and one square chocolate between two squares of graham cracker. Using tow large scoops (about 1/4 cups each) of cookie dough, cover the entire s’more tightly until no graham is visible. Repeat until remaining dough. refrigerate on baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bake cookies until lightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool minutes on baking sheet for 10 minutes before eating.

Senior Karly McCoy

Lemon crinkle cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 box lemon cake mix

1 egg- lightly beaten

8 oz. container of cool whip

½ to 1 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 350, combine cake mix, egg, and cool-whip. The batter will be sticky. Form dough balls by tablespoons and roll in powdered sugar. Bake 8-10 mins. until edges are golden. Cool one min. and remove from cookie sheet.

Allie Grieco

Oreo truffle cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 package of (14.3 oz) Oreo chocolate creme sandwich cookies

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

34 oz (from two 20-oz packages) vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark)

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil