NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Cookie creations inspired by New York City are on display at the Museum of the City of New York as part of the annual Great Borough Bake-Off competition.
The contest brings together everyday and professional bakers to compete for the best cookie creation inspired by the city. This year’s competition drew more than 70 submissions, with 23 finalists selected for display at the museum.
“The level of detail this year has been exponentially elevated from prior years,” said Stephanie Hill Wilchfort of the Museum of the City of New York.
The edible entries feature a variety of New York-themed landmarks and scenes, including a replica of Manhattan’s Little Island and a Staten Island deli complete with Sunday sauce. Contest rules required that every element be edible.
“It has to be an icon of New York but we define that broadly,” Wilchfort said.
Among the entries is a bodega scene featuring cats and Nathan’s. Participant Paola Giraldo said creating her submission took about two weeks. Although she had only baked sugar cookies before, she worked through several attempts to perfect the gingerbread recipe.
“I had to make it over and over like 5 times to get it right and to get the decorations not to be so heavy,” Giraldo said.
Wilchfort shared one tip discovered by participants during the process.
“Melted gummy bears make a great adhesive, who knew?” she said.
Another standout entry, inspired by the Metropolitan Opera House, required more than 100 pounds of dough. Participant Dr. Hayalnesh Tarekegn said the piece was influenced by personal memories of attending performances.
“I used to go the MET when you had to sit in the basement and wait for rush tickets for about 3 hours,” Tarekegn said.
The exhibit will remain on display through mid-January. Organizers said any shifting or damage to the gingerbread creations will be addressed by a restoration team to keep the displays intact for visitors.
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