Calling all kid bakers! Are you a child between the ages of 5-18? Do you love to bake tasty treats? Do you love to get creative in the kitchen? Then this competition is for YOU!
Think Betty Crockers meets The Great British Baking Show with our 1st Annual Great Cookie Contest for KIDS! This competition runs January and February 2024, in partnership with the Festivals of Cedarburg and the Cedarburg Roastery. The Contest will culminate at Cedarburg’s Winterfest Festival on February 17-18, 2024.
Children from Cedarburg AND across the Milwaukee Metro region are encouraged to apply!
PARTNERS
How to Enter:
Please read through all steps completely before you start the entry process. All steps must be completed in order by the deadline (January 26, 2024) to be considered for the contest.
Get those creative wheels spinning. The first step in this contest is thinking of a great recipe! Maybe you have a special family recipe that can be submitted as is, or you have a recipe you love to make but you want to change one or two ingredients to make it your own. We’re looking for standout recipes that inspire, delight, and taste delicious!
Fill out the online entry form. This is a simple google form where we gather information about you! Your name, your contact information, your age category (there are 3 categories), your cookie name, and most importantly, your cookie story. What’s a cookie story? It’s what makes your cookie special or unique to you. Did you invent your recipe with someone you love or have you been baking for years together with your family? Tell us! We want to know what makes your cookie the best cookie ever!
Pay for your cookie contest entry. The entry cost for each child (one recipe limit per child) is $10. You will receive the directions for payment when you fill out your entry form. You will also receive the official recipe template when you pay for your entry. All payments must be received by January 26, 2024 to be considered for this contest.
Submit your cookie recipe to us. The cookie recipe must be submitted on the official Cookie Contest recipe template. You will receive an instant digital download of this template upon payment (step 3.) Recipe templates can be printed, handwritten, and scanned OR recipe templates can be filled out on a computer - once downloaded, you will be able to type directly into the PDF as it is a fillable form. Either way, recipes need to be EMAILED to hello@morehappykitchens.com by January 26, 2024 to be considered for the contest.
Make sure you got it all! In order to be included in the contest, you must complete the following steps by January 26, 2024:
Fill out an entry form (Google Form)
Pay your entry fee
Email your recipe on the recipe template to us!
If you completed all steps above, you’ll receive email confirmation from us that you are offically in the running for Best Cookie of the Year!
Why a cookie contest? One of our main goals at More Happy Kitchens is for kids to have a positive experience in the kitchen. We believe in the power of creativity that cooking and baking can bring to individuals and families and we’re committed to finding many ways to share that with our community.
Contest Timeline
January 5th, 2024 - Open call for recipe submissions.
January 26, 2024 - Recipe submissions/applications and fees are DUE.
February 2, 2024 - Top 5 recipes in each age category are announced. These 15 bakers are then asked to bake two dozen of their cookies for the judging/baker’s reception on Thursday, February 8th at Art of Joy.
February 8, 2024 - Baker’s Reception with Community Judges at Art of Joy, Cedarburg, WI. Top recipe in each age category announced!
Week of February 12-16 - More Happy Kitchens team will bake top three winning recipes and package up to sell at Winterfest for community voting.
February 18, 2024 - Winterfest! Come to the More Happy Kitchens table in the Cedarburg Community Gym to sample the top 3 cookies and cast your vote.
One grand-prize winner - the Community Choice winner - will be selected by community vote and announced by 4pm on February 18.
Awards and Grand Prize
From the pool of submissions, 15 recipe creators (5 per age category) will be asked to attend the Baker’s Reception and share their cookies with a panel of judges on February 8, 2024 at Art of Joy in Cedarburg, WI. All 15 finalists will receive “The Great Kids Cookie Contest Finalist” ribbon and have a chance to share their cookie story with the audience.
At the Baker’s Reception on February 8, a panel of judges will select their most favorite cookie from each age category. These three winners will receive a one-hour baking experience with the Cedarburg Roastery bakers at the Cedarburg Roastery in Cedarburg, WI. This exclusive baking opportunity is a chance for kids to bake at a real bakery and learn how the bakery operations work on a day-to-day basis. Baking experiences will be scheduled directly with the Roastery at a mutually-agreed upon time.
On February 18, the top cookies will be showcased at Cedarburg’s Winterfest! All Winterfest attendees will have an opportunity to purchase and sample the top 3 cookies and cast a vote for their favorite cookie. The cookie with the most votes is the Grand Prize Winner. This winner - and their cookie! - will be featured at the Cedarburg Roastery this Winter and will be crowned The Great Cookie Champion.