’Tis the season for cookies — not only those to be left for Santa along with the milk, but ones that can be entered in an event this weekend to benefit charity.
The first-ever holiday cookie contest at Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies in downtown Mount Airy, scheduled Saturday, was conceived in the true spirit of Christmas, including both the consumption of tasty treats and its message of giving to others.
Angela Shur, the owner of Miss Angel’s, points out that many people bake their own unique cookies at this time of year, using their recipes, those of their mothers or grandmothers or recipes gleaned from the Internet.
Usually, these are privately consumed, but the cookie contest at Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies offers a chance to have one’s tasty treats appreciated on a wide scale while also helping the community.
Special judges slated
Under the contest format, local cooks are asked to bake one to two dozen cookies using their favorite recipes and bring them to Shur’s store at 153 N. Main St. at 7 p.m. sharp on Saturday.
There the cookies will be judged by Shur and two special guests, who she disclosed Tuesday are Santa Claus and Rep. Sarah Stevens of Mount Airy, who serves Surry County in the N.C. General Assembly.
“She’s willing to do it for charity,” Shur said of the state legislator.
Cookies will be evaluated based on appearance, taste and uniqueness.
The cookies should be named and the recipes also brought along to the contest. Under the format, the identities of bakers will be unknown to the judges “so no one chooses someone they know,” Shur said.
One winner will be selected.
That person’s recipe will be featured at Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies for 100 days, with all proceeds from the sales of those cookies to be donated to charity. “The charity of their choice,” Shur said Tuesday.
In addition, the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Shur’s bakery, ice cream shop or farm.
Entry to the contest is free, but Shur says those who plan to participate must contact her or the store “to let us know you are coming prior to the night.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, interest in the cookie contest was picking up steam, based on contacts fielded so far by store personnel.
“They said it’s going good,” Shur added.
