Palm Beach Post cookie contest winner Gail Gillette-Corson shows off her winning cookies at her home in Palm Beach Gardens. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / The Post)

First prize: Gail Gillette-Corson, Palm Beach Gardens

The cookie: Poinsettia/Holly Christmas Cookies

Video: Watch Gail make her winning cookie

Her story: A retired hotel manager with a love of baking and crafting, Gillette-Corson says her winning cookie combines a recipe from a Good Housekeeping book with her flair for decoration. “I wear myself out just thinking of creative things to do,” she said. Speaking of which, Gillette-Corson likes to call attention to her other big holiday project — she takes used Barbie dolls and redecorates and re-beautifies them, distributing the Barbies to needy children throughout the world. After completing 600 Barbies this holiday season, she’s still looking for more — if you’ve got a used Barbie to donate, contact Gillette-Corson at gentlylovedgifts@aol.com.

Judges’ comments: “Look at all the attention to detail!” marveled Jennifer Reed. But just as important, said Julien Gremaud, the cookie “tasted as good as it looked.”

The recipes:
For sugar cookie:
1 cup butter (no substitutions) softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting (you can use pre-made or you can make your own using powdered sugar and milk mixed to desired consistency)
Sprinkles and other decorations
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and creamy. Then, at low speed, beat in egg and vanilla, followed by flour and baking soda — just until blended.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll (about 1 hour).
On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll a disk of dough 1/2 inch thin (or however thin you like your cookies). (Alternatively, you can roll your cookies by placing disk of dough between two sheets of wax paper). Dip cookie cutters in flour and cut out shapes.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until lightly browned (10-12 minutes). Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

For poinsettia and holly leaves:
Silk or plastic poinsettias and holly stems, purchased from a crafts store
Candy melts (look for Wilton brand in crafts store) or bark coating (from dessert aisle in grocery store)
Small crafter’s brush
Candy coloring, if desired
Luster or shimmer dust from craft store (optional)
Sprinkles from craft or grocery store (optional)
Cut the leaves and flower petals off the poinsettia and holly stems
Melt the chocolate as directed on the package. “Paint” the undersides of the flower petals and leaves and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set. Peel off the silk or plastic leaves and petals. Brush on some luster or shimmer dust (if desired). Rearrange the leaves and petals on a cookie that you have just frosted or glazed. Used colored frosting or colored chocolate for the yellow centers.

Recipe yields about 15 cookies.

Photo by Ray Graham / The Post

When we asked for entries for our holiday cookie contest, we meant the kind of treats that humans eat, not dogs. But one intrepid reader, Wendy Bice of West Palm Beach, offered this canine holiday cookie recipe — and it proved a hit with a “judge” of the “woof, woof” variety that we recruited. If you’ve got a pooch in your house, consider making a batch.

Read the full story

’Tis the season for sugar. And flour and butter, too.

Naturally, we’re talking holiday cookies, from simple gingerbread cutouts to elaborately decorated affairs in the shapes of Santas and snowmen.

The Palm Beach Post’s holiday cookie contest has become a popular tradition among our readers. And this year proved no exception — more than 50 entered, offering cookies in every style conceivable. We even got a submission for a canine cookie!

Our trio of chef judges — Julien Gremaud of Pistache restaurant, Christine Najac of Really Good Cookies gift company and Jennifer Reed of The Sugar Monkey bakery — decided to pass on that last one. But they did sample their way through the rest of our entries. Some cookies were greeted with enthusiasm, others with looks of “Just what were they thinking…?” (To quote one judge, “That’s not a cookie. That’s a piece of elephant skin!”)

But after the sugar rush was over, a trio of entries emerged as first, second and third-prize winners. We’ve included recipes for each of the top cookies, plus we’ve made note of a few “honorable mentions.” And we asked our judges — and a chef who specializes in allergen-free baked goods — to submit their own recipes as well.

Happy holidays … and happy baking.

Staff writer Janis Fontaine contributed to this project.

Check out photos from the event

Now I know how Al Gore must have felt.

In a stunning (to me) result, the Swirl Girls narrowly defeated the Barley Boys in Saturday’s Beer vs Wine Challenge at Cooks Inc. of Abacoa. Initial polling reports tell us the voting was very close, but that the wine was the winner in 3 out of the 4 courses. I would like to congratulate the SG’s on a robust and valiant effort in this competition.

But I am not willing to concede just yet.

Let me stress these are preliminary results which must be poured over and closely examined by my team of attorneys, who are at this moment flying in from all parts of the country and will parachute from their planes before setting up our Contest Challenge Crisis Center. There is compelling circumstantial evidence of irregularities in the process indicating something may have been amiss in this contest right from the start.
For example:

1. The event was held in Palm Beach County. Hello!!??
2. A former PBC elections official was allegedly seen at the Post when the ballots were created.
(I KNEW it!)
3. Several senior citizen voters at Cook’s Inc. wrote in “Pat Buchanan” as the winner of all 4 courses.
4. Many beer lovers waited a long time before receiving their samples, while the wines were poured first. Some were never able to cast their votes!
5. The Swirl Girls may have used subtle Jedi mind tricks to influence the voting.

These are just some of the disturbing allegations we’ve received in the days following this momentus contest, and we can make…come up with more in the next couple of days as our investigation intensifies. Let me stress I am not making any specific accusations against ANY of the Swirl Girls at this point in time, (just implying them) and assert the Barley Boys may have good reason to whine about these results.

In fact, according to MY taste buds, the beer was the clear winner in 3 of the 4 delicious courses served, and my taste buds don’t lie my friends. Chef John Carlino of Cooks Inc. and team did a fabulous job explaining and preparing each course, and if you haven’t been to this place yet, make a reservation today. It is seriously good food.

But don’t count us out just yet!

The grand-prize winning “Toffee for Your Coffee,” a sour cream cake donut topped with glaze and chopped Heath® Bar, is now available at Dunkin Donuts nationwide.

Jeff Hager of Hoover, Ala., was the grand prize winner in Dunkin Donut’s contest to find America’s next great donut.

“Toffee for Your Coffee” was officially revealed as the winning donut on National Donut Day, June 5. Hager received $12,000 along with the opportunity to have his donut sold in participating Dunkin’ Donuts shops throughout the country.

Twelve contest finalists, including Hager, received $1,200 and traveled to Dunkin’ Donuts’ University in Massachusetts for a bake-off. Our local finalist was Carol D’Angelo of Palm Beach Gardens.

This Labor Day more than 78,000 visitors from all over the country will flock to Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, N.Y., for the 8th Annual National Buffalo Wing Festival.

The festival features a variety of activities including the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championships and National Wing Sauce-Off Competition. In addition, attendees will learn the savory secrets of lip smacking sauces and the legendary lore surrounding the history of Buffalo wings.

An encore performance this year includes the Celebrity Chef Challenge, sponsored by Frank’s® RedHot® Cayenne Pepper Sauce, the original sauce used to create the first-ever Buffalo Wings in 1964.

Celebrity chef Kevin Roberts, executive chef, cookbook author and radio personality, returns to Buffalo to challenge the official “Wing King,” Drew Cerza, once again. Roberts will also have several solo performances center stage where he’ll cook up his award-winning recipes from recent appearances during the Super Bowl and March Madness.

In addition to its place in wing history as the original wing sauce, Frank’s RedHot is the hot sauce of choice in recipes created by restaurant chefs around country. To find out more about the National Buffalo Wing Festival visit www.buffalowing.com.

Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, share your pot-luck recipe.

(Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

Day 19′s contest is over and Paul is the winner. Grilled shrimp is a Florida delicacy we can all enjoy. Here’s his recipe: Marinated Skewered Shrimp on the
Grill!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of uncooked peeled shrimp
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 T. oregano
4 T. lemon juice
1 T. fresh chopped garlic clove
1/8 tsp. liquid hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 T. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Combine shrimp, parsley, olive oil, oregeno, lemon juice, chopped garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, tomato paste & pepper in a glass bowl. Marinate for 2 hours at room temperature.

Arrange marinated shrimp on skewers and grill 3 to 4 inches above the heat for 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn bright pink.
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Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, share your favorite recipe that features any of South Florida’s bounty: fruit, seafood, citrus, avocados, etc.

(Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

Day 18′s contest is over and Diane is the winner. Here’s the winning tip: My must have are shallots. They can make a great vinagarette, dress up most vegetables, and can be used for making a nice sauce to go with most entree meals.

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Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, tell us your secret weapon in the kitchen: could be a spice, a marinade, a rub, a product… what must you have on hand to make your kitchen magic happen?

(Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

And the winner is, Tima! Here’s her recipe, which might look complicated, but isn’t:

Baja Fish Tacos:
Ingredients:
1 lb fish (tilapia or mahi mahi are my favorite)
1 lime
a head of green cabbage
a head of red cabbage
3 tsp cumin
a small bushel of cilantro
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper ( to taste)
1 small container of fat free sour cream
corn tortillas
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp olive oil

Cabbage Mix:

( I do this first so that I can let it sit in the fridge and chill before I serve it.)
I take about a half a head of green and half a head of red cabbage and shred them and throw them in a big mixing bowl. Then, finely chop half of a bushel of cilantro ( i like a lot of cilantro, you can use less) and mix it thoroughly into the cabbage mix. Then, add about 6-8 ounces of fat free sour cream to make the mix moist. Add lime juice. Season the mixture with 3 tsp cumin and 2 tsp of chili powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Let chill in fridge until ready to serve.

While the cabbage mix sits, prepare the fish. Cut out the blood line ( if it was not cut out by seafood department) and set aside. Heat the pan and lightly coat with 1 tsp olive oil. Cut the fish into long, but small pieces. Lightly season the fish with a dash on the chili powder ( if you like spicy), salt and pepper. Grill the pieces of fish on each side for 3-4 minutes. Fish cooks pretty fast.

Set aside and let cool for a minute. While cooling, take corn tortillas and put in the oven, a toaster oven, or on a pan to get them slightly crispy (warm).

Serve the tortillas with the fish and place cabbage mix on top.
Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

This is great for parties or any occasion, set out ingredients and let everyone build their own tacos!

A nice side dish option is black beans and rice.
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Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, tell us your favorite easy work-night dinner. (Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.