The Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off returns for its fifth year at The Hutong this Mar 25 for a day of fun, cookies, and a guaranteed sugar rush, all in the name of charity. Well, charity and massive bragging rights, for if you win not only will you have raised money for a local (yet to be named) organization but you shall forever be cookie bake-off champ!

A hopeful contestant at last year’s competition

If you’d like to take part in the competition, the rules are simple: submit a recipe for your best cookie before Mar 2, and then if your creation is selected, you must prepare enough samples to go around (enough for about 80 people) as well as extra bags that you would like to sell (a bag of five cookies for RMB 20, of which RMB 5 is donated to charity).

Attendees will then be able to browse the lucky 15 hopefuls and nibble to their heart’s content as well as wash it all down with warm milk courtesy of The Hutong. There’ll also be hot chocolate and hot toddies for those who want to kick it up a notch as well as a raffle later on in the day.

The Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off contestants don’t mess

Although the Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off is largely a great way to spend a day in the name of a good cause, it has led to bigger things for some of those who have previously taken part. One example would be that of Jonathan Ellis, who first broke through into the city’s F&B scene as a baker at the inaugural Cookie Monster Bake-Off in 2013, and left Beijing this past month. Upon entering, Ellis considered himself a mere hobbyist but after being crowned the winner, he went on to found his own Big Bear Baked Goods business, selling cookies at restaurants around town.

If you’d like to enter this year’s bake-off, email kristen@lumdimsum.com with your cookie recipe and a photo before Friday, Mar 2. Tickets for attendees cost RMB 150 or RMB 100 for Hutong members, a portion of which, along with the raffle tickets and a part of the cookie sales, will go to charity. You can read more about the competition here.

Photos courtesy of the organizers

Cookies are treats that satisfy kids and everyone with a sweet tooth. They come in different sizes and flavor, including ginger! In fact, that’s the key ingredient of “Sticky Gingers,” the winning cookie from The Hutong’s 2017 Cookie Monster Charity Bake-Off held in May.

Jennie Chow, the baker who created the recipe, is sharing the secret of these chewy treats, loaded with crystallized ginger, drizzled with gooey caramel, and topped with more crystallized ginger. She will be holding a class at The Hutong on August 12, from 2.30pm to 5pm. But hurry, as there are only 10 seats for the class.

For all of you who are asking how Jennie came up with the recipe, she shares that the inspiration behind “Sticky Gingers” was the first cookie she baked when she was 10 or 11. Jennie said baking has given her so much joy that she turned that hobby into a career, opening a home bakery she named after herself in April 2016. She operates Jennie’s Oven in her hutong apartment. In the fall, Jennie is set to go to New York to start a pastry school at the International Culinary Center.

Cookie Baking Class By “Jennie Chow of Jennie’s Oven”
When: August 12, 2.30-5pm
Where: The Hutong, 1 Jiudaowan Zhongxiang Hutong (southeast of Beixinqiao subway station), Dongcheng District 东城区九道湾中巷胡同1号(北新桥地铁站东南边）
Price: RMB 300 (RMB 260 for The Hutong members)
Notes: This class only holds a maximum of 10 seats. Book your spot now here.

Photos: courtesy of The Hutong and Jennie’s Oven

More stories by this author here.
Email: andypenafuerte@beijing-kids.com
Instagram: @coolkidandy

20 of Beijing’s bakers will be vying to be crowned the best baker in the capital and all in the name of charity at this year’s The Hutong Cookie Monster Charity Bake-off. Young and old cookie lovers can munch down on cookies guilt free (well not entirely) but it’s for a good cause. Last year’s winner, Jon Ellis, now has his own business-Big Bear Cookies-therefore this is win-win-win situation.

Here is the list of contestants and the name of their creations:

1. Jordan Silva – Chewy Chocoholic Cookies
2. Sunila Cook – Sea Salt and Olive Oil Brownie Cookies
3. Jacob Miller – “No Bake” Cookies
4. Jimi Sides and Mickey – Lil’ Oinker Cookies
5. Charlotte Arneson + Sophie Haas -“Tea Thai-ime Thumbprint” Cookies
6. Lotus Qi – Linzer Augen
7. Kelvin Goh – Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies
8. Sue Zhou- Caramel Choco Cookies
9. Miho Lai – Message Butter Cookies
10. Kinsey Morrow and Cara Gleeson – Crack Jack Cookies
11. Britt Langford (Sweet Tart Bakery) – Orange-Walnut Butter Cookies with Chocolate-Espresso Glaze
12. Daisy – Panda Cookies 萌萌哒小熊猫饼干
13. Grace Yang – Lemon Meringue Cookies
14. Clare He – Dark Chocolate Guinness Cookies
15. Marte – Guilt-free Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut and Chocolate
16. Filippo Fiori – Traditional Tuscanian Almond Cookies
17. Kitty 李坤 – Chocolate Butter Cookies
18. Maya Jing 亚静 马 – Banana and Chocolate Soft Cookie
19. Lory 郭婷 – 玛格丽特饼干
20. Andrew Gilliland – Pantry Dropper Cookies

Entrance is RMB 150 and RMB 100 for members and children, which includes samples from all contestants and one hot drink from the following:
 

• Warm milk (cause that’s what the Cookie Monster likes to dunk his cookies into) – RMB 10
• Hot Chocolate – RMB 20
• Chai Tea – RMB 20
•  Hot Toddy’s (recipe by the one and only Joshua Kernan)- RMB 20

Attendees buy a bag of 5 cookies for RMB 20 then RMB 5 goes to BEAM. While 100% of raffle tickets and portion of entrance tickets plus cookies sales goes to Bethel China.

The raffle prizes up for grabs are:

• Juice by Melissa: 3-day Juice Cleanse Package (RMB 1,080)
• Bamiyan Afghan Restaurant: Restaurant Vouchers (RMB 600)
• Punjabi Indian Restaurant: Restaurant Vouchers (RMB 500)
• The Hutong: Cooking Class for 2 (RMB 600)
• Hatsune Japanese Restaurant: Restaurant Voucher (RMB 500)
• The Taco Bar: 2 Restaurant Vouchers (RMB 100 each)
• Jing-A Taproom: 2 Restaurant Vouchers (RMB 100 each)
• Rager Pie: 9″ Pecandrogynous Pie (RMB 140)
• Migas and Traitor Zhou’s: 3 Vouchers for Box of Freshly Baked Donuts (RMB 60 each)
• Two Guys and a Pie: 6 Free Pie Vouchers (RMB 30 each) + 6 Buy-Two-Get-One-Free Vouchers
• The Hutong: Sichuan Recipe Book (RMB 50)
• The Hutong: Yunnan Recipe Book (RMB 50)