2026 Special Ingredient: Cesame 

I know SESAME is spelled with an "S" but remember C is for cookie.  So make your best sesame-inspired cookie.  Tahini in a cookie? Yes, please.  Sprinkle those little seeds on a cookie? More please.  

This is going to be so fun tasting all the cesame cookies!

Category:  Best Tasting Cookie

This is the cookie you want to be buried with. This cookies has the right balance of flavor and textures. It may not be the prettiest but the only thing that matters is what is on the inside, right?

Category:  Most Creative Cookie

One of these Cookies is Not like the Other

Thinking outside the cookie jar…...this is where the baker exercises the fine balance between interesting concept and sad failure. Creative can mean all sorts of things like unique ingredients, unique design, unexpected flavor profiles, or an  unusual use of an element…….etc.  Being creative should be celebrated and this cookie does just that.

Category:  Judge's Choice

Every year a cookies comes along that is deserving of an award for one reason or another.  Were the judge's split in their decision? Or was the  cookie such a miserable failure and the baker brought their offering regardless of their shame?  The judges are tasked with awarding this special award to a bakers whose efforts might go unrecognized otherwise.

Category:  Best Looking Cookie

Best looking is really subjective, isn’t it? And superficial. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but like art, this cookie should speak to you and stand out among its peers.

Category:  Best Bar/Non Cookie

Like your favorite dive bar, this category is just the best, because it just is. Having to explain why it’s the best, is in itself, a disservice. For those who can only bake in 9 x12 casserole pans, this category is designed for people who are adverse to rolling, scooping, cutting, and decorating, but still have something to add. We see you bar/non cookie people, and we celebrate you.