Apricot strips baked by Lynne Schaefer were an honorable mention at The Bulletin's cookie contest. (Joe Kline/Bulletin photo)

Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, star anise and black peppercorns are the list of spices that flavored the winning cookie of this year’s contest.

The star-shaped cookie with intricate dotted icing — designed henna tattoo style — sat in the middle of a table next to peppermint macarons, date-filled pinwheels and cranberry bliss bars at The Bulletin last week.

Much like the chai cookie’s complex flavors, the creation stood out.

The cookie, which was topped with chai royal icing, was baked by Blake Rathbun, a Central Oregon Community College Cascade Culinary Institute student.

Some of spices were brought back from India by the baker’s aunt.

The design of the icing was detailed with perfectly parallel lines and patterns.

The finished cookie product was sprinkled with granules of fresh honey from another aunt’s beehive.

The Bulletin’s annual cookie contest brought more than 30 varieties. There was no shortage of sweet treats or tough decisions for the judges. Hayley Sowers’ molasses cookies and gingerbread people were pleasing to both the eye and the stomach. Quinn Burleigh’s peppermint pinwheels were fun, festive and delicious. Lynne Schaefer’s apricot strips had a fruity middle that was well-balanced with the moist, doughy crust, awarding the cookie an honorable mention.

The cookie entries this year included the work of community members as well as students from the Cascade Culinary Institute and Mountain View High School.

Cookies were judged based on taste and flavor, but points were given for originality and presentation. Student winners were chosen by their culinary instructors. Bulletin staff chose the community winner and grand champion.

Bakers submitted their special, and sometimes secret, recipes to give readers the opportunity to bake the winning cookies at home.

Overall winner

Rathbun, of Bend, was the Cascade Culinary Institute winner.

Instructor and pastry chef Laura Hagen also mentioned Sowers’ Molasses Cookies, Kim Hollcroft’s Peppermint Macarons, Grace Landon’s Vanilla Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk cookies and Devan Thomas’ Monster Cookies as favorites.

Rathbun’s recipe was pieced together from three different recipes, one for each element — the spice mixture, the dough and the icing. An unusual addition to the dough was the contents of one black tea bag.

“I just wanted to do something a bit different” Rathbun said. “I love warm drinks and I’m a big chai (tea) fan so I decided on that.”

The presentation of the chai cookies was also striking. Rathbun has experience doing henna tattoo designs and applied the same painting technique of circle, dot and line patterns to the icing.

“After you repeat them over and over, you get some really intricate designs,” she said. “I thought that would go well with the chai.”

Mountain View High School winner

Jaylen Dement’s lemon ginger sandwich cookie was chosen as the winner from the Mountain View High School students. Dement is a senior in high school with a knack for baking. In fact, he’s considering a culinary career.

The crisp, traditional ginger cookie complements the creamy, citrus filling.

“We know that’s a classic thing — the lemon and ginger — and we played around with it and thought it was really good,” Dement said.

The recipe for the filling calls for fresh lemon juice and coconut oil, which gives it a brighter flavor. Additionally, the consistency of molasses makes the cookie dough thin enough to create a sandwich.

Community winner

Tiffany Christy is the “Mama T” in Mama T’s Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies, the winning community entry. But it wasn’t always Mama T’s cookies.

“It’s a hand-me-down recipe from my great-grandmother, but whenever she would pass it on, the person she would give it to would make changes to the recipes,” Christy said. “It started off as Mama Opal’s, and then Mama Dorris, and then Mama Debbie and now it’s Mama T’s.”

Mama T’s cookies are traditional, but the result is sweet, salty and chewy. Christy has been making them for about 20 years for friends and family. This year, she will make them as a part of a gift basket, along with gingerbread and peppermint bark.

The secret ingredient? “A good quality vanilla really makes the difference, using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation,” she said. “Oh, and roasting the walnuts beforehand!”

— Reporter: 541-383-0351, mcrowe@bendbulletin.com

Chai Cookies with Chai Royal Icing

For chai spice mixture

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tsp black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

6 cardamom pods

1 star anise

For the cookies

1 c all purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

½ tsp baking powder

1⁄4 tsp salt

2-3 TBS spice mixture

Contents of one black tea bag

½ C butter, at room temperature

1 C of sugar

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the icing

3 oz pasteurized egg whites

1 tsp of vanilla extract

4 C of confectioner’s sugar

2 TBS spice mixture

Honey granules for sprinkling

For the spice mixture

Toast all ingredients except ginger in a dry pan until you see slight color.

Pulse in a spice grinder until a fine powder forms.

For the cookies

Sift the flours, baking powder, salt, spice mixture and contents of tea bag together into a bowl.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour, mixing just until the dough comes together.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to about 1⁄4-inch thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.

Using cookie cutters, cut out the desired shapes and place them onto a cookie sheet, preferably lined with parchment.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden, rotating about halfway through baking.

Let cookies cool and frost with royal icing. Sprinkles with honey granules.

For the icing (while cookies are baking)

In a large bowl or stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy.

Add confectioners’ sugar and spice mixture gradually and mix on low speed until sugar and spice is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.

Lemon-ginger Sandwich Cookies

For the Dough

3⁄4 c sugar

1 stick cold, unsalted butter

1 tbs unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap

11⁄4 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon or 
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon

1⁄8 tsp ground or grated nutmeg

1⁄8 tsp kosher salt

1 TBS lemon zest

11⁄3 C all-purpose flour

2 TBS heavy cream

For the Filling

11⁄4 C powdered sugar

1⁄3 C refined coconut oil

1 TBS fresh juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp pure lemon extract

1⁄4 tsp kosher salt

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine sugar, butter, molasses, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon zest. Mix on low until moistened, then increase to medium and cream until soft and light, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour all at once, then drizzle in cream and mix until fully incorporated.

With a 11⁄2–teaspoon scoop, divide dough into about 40 level portions. Cut each in half, then roll smooth and round between your palms. Alternatively, scale out 3⁄8-ounce portions, then roll smooth. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 11⁄4 inches between them to account for spreading. Bake until cookies are golden brown, no longer puffy, and a little firm around the edges, about 10 minutes.

If needed, rotate pan about halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool to room temperature directly on the baking sheet; the cookies will not be crisp while warm.

For the Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine powdered sugar, coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon extract and salt. Mix on low to combine, then increase to medium and cream until soft and light, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch pastry tip and use immediately.

To assemble

Flip half the cookies upside down and pipe a teaspoon filling into the center of each. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Pair similarly shaped cookies together.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 15 minutes to harden the coconut oil.

Bring a few to room temperature as needed to serve.

—Recipe: Stella Parks from Serious Eats (seriouseats.com)