Almost too pretty to eat.
But only almost.
In Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital’s very first cookie bake-off, open to hospital employees, assistant secretary to the associate general counsel Tausha Saunders won top honors for her buttery, jam-filled, glazed cherry-topped Empire biscuits. They were heart-shaped – suitable for Valentine’s Day, when the contest was held.
Saunders was not present for the event. Not one of the bakers was – perhaps out of a modicum of bakerish reserve or because they didn’t want to face the intense but good-natured competition. Or just maybe because they had the day off for the Eagles parade or were actually working a shift in the emergency department. First things first.
Before the bake-off began, two long tables prettily decorated for Valentine’s Day were lined with containers of cookies, all neatly arrayed in tins, on plates, or in Tupperware containers. Neatness went out of the window almost immediately as the judges, representatives from various hospital departments, went about their work with enthusiasm, nibbling on one cookie after the other, jotting down notes and having sidebar conversations to try to come up with a clear winner. And not one of the cookie judges crumbled under the pressure.
In the end, the decision of the judges was close, but Empire biscuits won the day.
The winners — or what was left after the judging, and post-contest nibbling by hospital employees.
Empire biscuits, as it turns out, are a Scottish delicacy. The recipe came from Saunders’ mother-in-law, a Scot, says Christina Camacho, executive administrative assistant to the hospital president and CEO, Richard Newell. Camacho was one of the organizers.
Competition for the top treat was steep indeed. Saunders’ entry faced some delectable rivals, from brown butter snickerdoodles to chocolate strawberry shortbread to Dutch cocoa cookies.
The contest is the outgrowth of a previous bake-off – for pound cakes, back in December. (Won by one of the cookie judges, baker par excellence Betty Shannon, executive assistant to the president and CEO.)
Camacho says the culinary contest concept started by accident. “It began as a joke,” she says. “Betty is a prolific baker, and we had a challenge from one of our physical therapists (Joe Fay), who also bakes excellent cakes. Boris Tsypenyuk (the hospital’s Director of Performance Excellence) was talking to Betty, and we asked each other, what do you want to do with this?”
So, the battle of the pound cakes stemmed from that offhand joke. But that contest provided the germ of an idea – to conduct more hospital food fights. Hence, the cookie bake-off, and, Camacho says, a little more organization.
For Camacho and her colleagues, the friendly fight to determine the crown jewel of cookies was all worthwhile — and not just because of the sugary subject matter at hand.
“You never know what kind of talents people have,” Camacho says. “It’s a wonderful way to get to know your co-workers.”
We have photos from the day. Check them out.
