During the 2020 pandemic, there weren't many fun Christmas events happening around town for kids. Many kids who were stuck at home spent time in the kitchen, working on their baking skills. At the time, shows like Food Network's Kids Baking Championship were also very popular and kids were tuning in, wishing they could compete! These circumstances inspired Jessica Hamby, the owner/founder of Itty Bitty Bakers, to establish the Kids Christmas Cookie Bake Off competition. The inaugural bake off took place in her front yard in Birmingham, AL that year, marking the beginning of a new tradition!
Here's a quick recap of past years and winners -
2020: Best All-Around winner Claire Conrad for her Double Hot Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
2021: Best All-Around winner Emma Cooley for her Snickerdoodle Gingerbread House Cookies
2022: Best All-Around winner Neely Pinson for her Christmas Toaster Strudel Cookies
2023: (we had a cupcake bake off instead) Best All-Around winner Emma Romano for her Starbucks Run Cupcake
Curious about the 2024 Christmas Cookie Bake Off? Find out all the information right here!
Date: Sunday, December 15, 2024
Time: 2pm-4pm
Participant Ages: 8-12
Location: Hoover Public Library, The Fitzgerald Meeting Room, 200 Municipal Dr, Hoover, AL 35216
Three Judges: Emma Romano, former Best All-Around Winner, Justin Banger, Hoover Public Library Children's Department Librarian, plus one more TBD.
Fee to enter: None
Event Day Arrival: On the day of the event, contestants can arrive anytime between the hours of 2PM-4PM. There are no set time slots. Contestants will be greeted at the door to the Fitzgerald Meeting Room by one of our staff members and have their picture taken with their cookies. If you do not wish to have your child's picture taken, please let us know.
Event Day Presentation: Contestants will come before the panel of judges to present their cookies by stating their name and the name of the cookie they made. For instance, they could say, "Hi, I'm Molly, and I baked Chocolate Reindeer Cookies." We realize that not everyone may be comfortable speaking to the judges. If that's the case, a parent or sibling is welcome to speak on behalf of the contestant. There's no need to feel stressed or pressured! The judges will then say, "Thanks! We are excited to taste them!" Following this, contestants will leave the room. The official taste-testing and judging session will begin at 4PM, after all contestants have completed presenting their cookies. Winners will be announced via email that evening, along with judges' feedback for each contestant's cookies.
Judging, Winners, and Prizes: The judges will evaluate the cookies and judge them based on four categories. Each category will have one winner.
The categories are -
BEST TASTING COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought tasted the best, regardless of appearance.
MOST FESTIVE COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought had the most Christmas spirit or most Christmas-y design, regardless of taste.
MOST UNIQUE COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges had never seen or heard of before and one they thought was really spectacular or different in some way.
BEST ALL-AROUND COOKIE: This is the cookie that the judges thought encompassed all three of the other categories; it tasted good, was festive, and was unique.
Each category winner will receive a Wooden Spoon Trophy. It will either be mailed or delivered to the winner's home in the week following the event.
Event Rules:
Participants must be between the ages of 8-12.
Cookies must be presented on a disposable plate, platter, or box labeled with the child’s name and name of the cookie.
Judging is based on cookies alone, not oral presentation to judges.
Participants must have at least four cookies to sample.
All cookies must be baked (ie - have a step that includes the oven).
Cookies must be made with minimal help from adults (including cookie selection process, grocery shopping, and kitchen cleanup!).
Types of cookies allowed: sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, cookie cups, cut-out cookies, bar cookies, sandwich cookies, crinkle cookies, spritz cookies, pfeffernüsse cookies, biscotti, wafer cookies, meltaways, alfajores, fortune cookies, animal crackers, dipped cookies, and stuffed cookies.
Types of cookies not allowed: french macarons, coconut macaroons, meringues, scones, crepes, pizelles, brownies, blondies, haystacks, stroopwafel, waffle cookies, truffles, churros, rugelach, cannoli, cookie dough, whoopie pies, eclairs, lady-fingers, no-bake cookies, pie dough cookies, palmiers, pop-tarts, and decorated store-bought cookies.
Registration is required because we need to know who will be competing so that we can have that information available for the judges on their note-taking spreadsheet. Please register here.
We wish everyone good luck and we hope you have FUN!
To see full recaps from past years, click here.
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