Residents Barb Blood and Martha Mackowiak took top adult prizes in the annual holiday cookie and candy contest held last week.

Held for the first time at the Sheldon Museum, only five entries were submitted for judging compared to 25 last year.

Charlotte Olerud, who enters nearly every year, said she simply missed the date. “It just wasn’t on my radar.”

The contest, as well as pictures with Santa, were traditionally held at the Visitor Center. The contest also was a week earlier than in previous years, when it fell on the weekend of the holiday parade.

Tourism director Leslie Ross said the Visitor Center passed along the events to the museum because of space restraints and a lack of manpower. “We’re just jam packed in here,” Ross said. “I don’t have the staff or volunteers that the museum has.”

Museum community coordinator Madeline Witek speculated that lack of advertising and changes in date and venue may have cut into participation.

Judges Kalani Kanahele, Michael Marks and Josh Feldbusch donned festive Santa hats for judging Friday as they dissected every taste and texture in the treats.

“We didn’t eat for 24 hours to prepare for this,” Marks joked.

He came prepared with a butcher knife and cutting board to slice each cookie to examine the inside.

The trio especially enjoyed the almond taste in Mackowiak’s first place Amaretto biscotti cookies, calling the use of Amaretto very creative.

Barbara Blood was excited for her wins in both the cookie and candy categories. She took second with her sour cream cranberry bars. Blood said it was the first time she’d made the treats. They included cranberries, oatmeal, sour cream and powdered sugar.

Blood took first in the adult candy category – the only entry – with Oreo truffles: sweet dark chocolate truffles with a white chocolate drizzle on top.

Feldbusch said they were particularly rich, chocolate desserts.

Lea Harris took third place in adult cookies with her pistachio holiday cookies: small shortbread cookies with pistachios sprinkled on top. Kanahele said he wished for a little more pistachio taste within the cookie.

Third-grader Larry Anderson took first in the junior cookie category with his ultimate cookie candy bars.

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