A shocking turn of events

If I never see or smell or taste another cookie again, it will be too soon.

That was a lie. But that is how I feel right now. I am all cookie-d out.

I brought my four and a half dozen chocolate toffee cookies with toasted walnuts to the cookie party last night and tasted 16 other people's cookies (which sounds kind of dirty if you have a twisted mind like me) and of course I lost the contest. The winner, my friend and hair stylist Ashley, made little butter thumbprint cookies with chocolate brandy something-or-the-other. On the way to the party she bragged that she had MICROWAVED her chocolate sauce. So there you have it. Double boiling is for suckers.

What I concluded was that if you're entering a cookie contest in which everyone has to taste 17 different cookies, you should probably make something that isn't too overwhelming. I admit my cookies were just too rich and chocolaty, and really quite brownie-like in taste. I'll give it another go next year with something a little lighter.

Here are a few photos of some of the entries.

 The winning cookies.

 My personal favorite, made by Holly, the daughter of our host Jackie.

 Red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting. 

 Pumpkin cream cheese cookies. 

 Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies

 Spice cookies, by Christie. 

 Triple threat chocolate cookies with pecans, by Andrea, who also foolishly used a double boiler.

 German chocolate thumb print cookies.

 Mint chocolate cookies by Jackie.