Barbara Seiwald said Thursday night was the most excited she had felt in 20 years.
And that was before she knew she won first place in the Eudora Times cookie tasting contest.
“I’m just humbled, and I’m so excited,” Seiwald said. “I said I haven’t had this much fun for 20 years probably.”
Ten bakers competed in the contest at Zeb’s with members of the public voting for their top cookies. A few hundred people turned out to take part in the event.
The winning bakers – Seiwald (first place), Wendy Regehr (second place) and Eric Strimple (third place) discuss how their baking tradition came to be.
Bethlehem Cookies
Seiwald bakes hundreds of her Bethlehem cookies each year. They’re a family staple, not only to her relatives in Eudora but also through mailed deliveries to her granddaughters out of town.
“My family loves them, and I give a lot of them away for Christmas,” she said.
She made 15 dozen so far for the competition, but said the season hasn’t even started yet. There’s still about 12 more dozen to go, she said.
She got the recipe from her mother-in-law, Martha, and she’s been making them ever since she joined the family 55 years ago.
Her family has deep roots in Eudora: her mother-in-law lived in Eudora most of her life, and Seiwald has, too.
During the holiday season, Seiwald and her husband start their days with two cookies with their coffee. Her daughter, Theresa, will also drop by for a morning sweet, she said.
The cookies, which use almond, lemon and vanilla extracts, are soft and fluffy with festive icing. They’re more than just an elevated sugar cookie, and put you right into the holiday spirit.
For winning first place, Seiwald’s recipe and suggested ingredients are on display at Gene’s Heartland Foods where customers can take a recipe sheet for free.
Maple Nut Cookies
Regehr’s maple nut cookies placed second at the cookie contest. She’s been making the recipe for 30 years, and she got it from a co-worker at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Regehr said what makes them stand out is the savory and sweet combination.
“I think it’s the icing that really makes it stand out, but the whole thing together is just a solid cookie with different flavors,” she said.
The cookies are requested at all kinds of events throughout the year, and are her go-to for cookie exchanges.
She estimates she makes about 10 dozen a year.
Regehr said she’s confident Martha Stewart would like them, too. She said Stewart would also love the elaborate tablescape they crafted for the event.
“You wait till next year,” she said
Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Eric Strimple brought a spicy, yet sweet cookie to the party. The unique, vegan Mexican hot chocolate snickerdoodles came in third place.
Strimple started baking the cookies in 2013 when he wanted to be able to bake more vegan options for his now-husband.
He strives to be adventurous with his recipe. After finding this cookie with cayenne pepper online, he never looked back.
After about 15 seconds of eating the cookie, a little kick hits you. The maple syrup gives the cookies a chewy texture, as well, he said.
Strimple is a frequent baker, as it’s his time to relax.
“I love baking. Pretty much every Sunday I’m baking something. Whether it’s banana bread, the cookies – it’s my time to decompress and just go in the kitchen and have fun,” he said.
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