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“I like to rework or create recipes of cookies and desserts I have found to put my own spin on them,” Harper said. “A few years ago, I was eating with a friend at Panera, and we had split a Kitchen Sink cookie at the end of our meal. I’m not a big sweets lover, but this cookie was different because it was both salty and sweet. It was delicious. We both agreed I could probably make one that tasted just as good; maybe if I was lucky, even better.”
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
She said it probably took about five to six versions of the recipe to get it just right.
“My friends, my husband and his coworkers are all obsessed with them and I often make them for parties and events because everyone loves and requests them,” Harper said. “They are always a hit.”
This is not the first time Harper has placed in the Holiday Cookie Contest. In 2019, she won second place with her Creamsicle Cookies and third with her Pecan Bars.
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
Baking is Harper’s way of doing something special for others. During the holidays, it reminds her of her mom, who died last year right before Christmas. She recalled her parents buying her an Easy Bake oven as a kid and after that, always hanging with her mom in the kitchen. Their favorite thing to bake together during the holidays were Christmas cookies.
Lesley Johnson of Kettering, who won second place for her “Chocolate Halfway Cookies,” also shared fond memories of baking with her late-mother. She recalled baking small gingerbread cookies and stringing them together to hang on the Christmas tree.
The recipe she submitted came from her mother, who had made the Chocolate Halfway Cookies for years around Christmas time.
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
“Honestly, they’re so sweet I don’t even know if I could eat them like I loved them when I was younger,” Johnson said. “I think the meringue on top it just really adds to the chocolate chip cookie.”'
Johnson grew up as the youngest of five kids and recalled spending a lot of time with her mom in the kitchen. She said everything that she made was always homemade. Johnson loves that baking during the holidays is a family affair.
“To me, desserts have always represented the opportunity to share special moments with loved ones, especially during the holidays,” said Jelena Staub of Oakwood who was the third-place winner in the Holiday Cookie Contest.
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
She submitted a recipe for “Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies” that reminded she and her husband of a boxed gingerbread cookie dipped in frosting that they ate as kids.
“I think there’s this debate amongst people, do you want a crispy cookie or a chewy cookie and I feel like this one has both. The outside tends to be super crisp, but then that middle is super chewy. I feel it’s part of the magic,” Staub said.
Staub is a self-taught avid baker who fostered a love for baking once she became a homemaker. She loves to bake for her husband and daughter. Last year, she won third place with her recipe for Brown Butter Espresso Chip Cookies.
Cox First Media has conducted a holiday cookie contest since 1990. Last year, the contest was brought back with a twist: Due to post-COVID and security precautions, our staff baked the cookies instead of having contestants bring them to our office. The top three winners, selected by a panel of staff judges, received a Kroger gift card.
Here are the winning recipes:
Amazing Caramel Toffee Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- ¾ cup crushed pretzels (I use Snyder’s of Hanover Itty Bitty Minis and hand place one whole pretzel on top of each ball before baking)
- ½ cup Heath English Toffee Bits
- ½ cup Kraft Caramel Bits
- 1 cup salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla (may also use caramel extract instead for extra flavor!)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- Approximately 8 to 12 Werther’s Original Soft Caramels (cut in half)
- Sea salt for garnish
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure out the dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, crushed pretzels, toffee and caramel bits into a bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, light in color and fluffy. Approximately 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add in the egg and vanilla. Once completely combined, stop the mixer and add in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Begin mixing slowly.
Once the flour mixture is about halfway incorporated into the dough, pour the chocolate chips, pretzels and toffee bits into the mixer and allow everything to mix. Stop the mixer as soon as the flour and all add- ins are completely incorporated. Dough will be thick! Finish stirring with a wooden spoon if needed. Do not over mix!
Scoop dough with large cookie or ice cream scoop (approximately ⅓ cup each) and then form the dough into a tall ball. Can use 2 tablespoons and make them smaller if desired.
Slightly press in ½ of a Werther’s caramel and one whole Itty Bitty pretzel to the top of each ball on top before baking. Place cookies 2-3 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookie dough has spread and the edges are turning golden brown.
After taking the cookies out of the oven, and while still warm, you can use the back of a spoon to pull in any edges to form a circle. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Halfway Cookies
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. water
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add two eggs yolks, water and vanilla. Mix well. Then add and mix in baking powder, flour, salt and baking soda.
Once everything is creamed together, pat mixture into the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan and sprinkle one package of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top.
For the topping, beat two egg whites until stiff peak and fold in 1 cup of brown sugar until well blended. Spread topping over cookie mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until gold brown. Cool, cut and serve.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Ingredients for cookies:
- 2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 ⅔ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground cloves
- ¾ cup room temp butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large room temp egg
- ¼ cup molasses (Grandma’s brand)
Ingredients for icing:
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 ½ to 2 tbsp. milk
- Small pinch each ground ginger and cinnamon
Directions: Pulse the oats in a food processor 10-12 times until you have a variety of texture. Whisk the pulsed oats, flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed. Add the egg and molasses and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill the dough for 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of milk in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Whisk in a very small pinch each of ground cinnamon and ginger. Lightly dip the tops of the cookies into the icing or lightly drizzle icing on top.
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