Wendy Regehr said she’s been trying to win the Eudora Times Cookie Contest for three years. The first year, her Maple Nut cookies placed second. Last year, she made sandwich cookies with a raspberry filling.
This year, she won with her Dubai Chocolate Chip cookies, which she described as a “marriage of a bunch of good flavors.”
“I love Dubai chocolate. And I found out that I can make a cookie out of it,” Regehr said. “They’re just so unique and different.”
Regehr said she’s been making these cookies for a couple of months. And while she likes to bake, she said she is not the biggest baker and doesn’t always take the time to do it.
“It’s an accomplishment because it’s hard,” Regehr said. “In today’s society, it’s kind of hard to find the time to do that stuff and enjoy it.”
Regehr plans to compete in the contest next year, and she already knows what she’s going to bake. She said she loves the event.
“I like this because it gets the whole, you know, the whole community has a chance to participate,” she said. “I like to do things that enhance the community and enhance small businesses. Because I think Zeb’s does a lot for the community.”
Grant High placed second with his Monstrous Oatmeal Cookies, which he served warm from a roaster. This is his second year participating and third year attending the event.
“I feel good,” High said. “I’m definitely not an accomplished baker by any means, but I do it just because it’s fun.”
High said he’s been making these cookies for 15 years in different variations.
“Somebody made a comment about my baking ability, and I took it as a challenge,” High said.
His second-place cookies this year had oatmeal and a lot of chocolate and M&Ms, but other variations sometimes have butterscotch instead of M&Ms. High said he ships these cookies out to friends and bakes them for community events.
“I actually don’t like baking,” High said. “I just like to see people enjoy the result of baking.”
High said the cookie contest brings together “a good cross section of the community that doesn’t necessarily usually get together.” He said he will probably continue participating in the event, but he’s not sure if he will have time when he begins serving as a city commissioner.
Rose House and Kim Steffen tied for third place with “It’s all about the raisin prep” Oatmeal Raisin cookies and Fruity Pebble cookies, respectively.
Eudora Times Publisher Teri Finneman said the event raised about $860 for the newspaper, even with the decreased turnout due to the weather.
Cookiebooks with the event’s recipes are available at Zeb’s and Farmers State Bank. More will be placed around town, including at Gene’s and the library, starting Wednesday.
Reach reporter Bella Waters at [email protected].
