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Enter the 2018 Holiday Cookie Contest

The Working@Duke cookie contest is Dec 11-12 with prizes awarded for Best Tasting, Best Decorated and Best Overall

Entries in the 2017 Holiday Cookie Contest.
Entries in the 2017 Holiday Cookie Contest.

Start mining your recipes. 

The annual Working@Duke Holiday Cookie Contest returns Dec. 11-12 with a panel of guest judges picking the Best Tasting, Best Decorated and Best Overall cookie. 

The contest is open to University and Duke Health employees. 

Here’s how to enter: 

  • Complete the entry form with your recipe by 2 p.m. on Dec. 12 and drop off six holiday cookies between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 11 or between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Office 01 at Duke's Human Resources Building, 705 Broad St. Parking is free in the visitor area. 
  • Include your name, department and phone number with the cookies. Truffles, bars, and pastries are not eligible.
  • To be eligible for prizes, both your cookies and your entry form must be received no later than 12 p.m. on Dec. 12.

Winners will be announced on Working@Duke/Duke Today by 5 p.m. Dec. 13. 

Amanda Hodges’ “Mint Chocolate Cutout Cookies” won Best Overall cookie in last year’s competition.  

“Making cookies during the holidays has always been something that I have done with my family,” Hodges said. “Many people have special recipes that mean a lot to them, and it will be really fun to see and taste them all.”

Rachel Kaufmann, project planner at Duke Clinical Research Institute, won Best Tasting last year for her “Turtle Thumbprint Cookies.” Elizabeth Jones, then an assistant managing editor for Duke University Press, won Best Decorated for her “Extra Spicy Gingerbread Houses with Lemon Icing.” 

Winners for 2018 will be announced in categories of Best Tasting, Best Decorated and Best Overall. Prizes include a $50 card from Duke Stores for Best Overall and $25 Duke Stores cards for Best Tasting and Best Decorated. New this year, we will award a "Proud to be Working@Duke" T-shirt to the honorable mention winner.

Downloadable PDF booklets will be made of all submitted recipes.

Cookie contest judges are:

  • Gregg Hilker, general manager of the JB Duke Hotel 
  • Amanda Hodges, clinical nurse for Duke University Hospital’s Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (2017 best overall cookie contest winner)
  • Tyler Lee, program coordinator for the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (Working@Duke T-shirt winner for the 2018 Blue Devil Halloween Photo Contest)
  • Eric Lipp, senior clinical research coordinator for The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center
  • Michael Palko, informatics educator with Duke University Health System (shutterbug award for 2018 Duke Time Off contest)

Questions? Call Jonathan Black at 919-681-9965. 

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