Wednesday Feb. 18 held the 4th Annual Brownie Bake-Off in the lobby of Sykes Student Union. The ‘Sweet Treats so Others Can Eat’ contest began at 11:00 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m. with judging taking place at noon. Brownies were sold for one dollar each and one hundred percent of all proceeds benefited the local foods banks of Cares Food Network and The Salvation Army.Bakers brought their brownies to the Brownie Bake-Off tables Wednesday morning between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in 13 x 9 inch cake pans and were distributed to buyers. Two separate categories were available to enter, All Chocolate and Miscellaneous, which could contain any extra ingredients such as nuts, candies, marshmallows or caramel. Box mixes were permitted, but all brownies must have been home baked.
Contestants were able to enter both categories or could submit one recipe in total. Recipes could also be provided which were then sold for 25 cents to anyone interested, for these proceeds also benefited Cares Food Network and The Salvation Army. Anyone was eligible to enter the Brownie Bake-Off, from students to faculty members.
Once the brownies had arrived, bakers received an assigned contestant number, or numbers, in accordance to their brownies. Brownies were judged based upon their numbers so all entries remained anonymous. Volunteers from the local food banks came in to participate in the judging, which was also open to the public.
The first place prize of a blue ribbon and a 25 dollar Starbucks give certificate, courtesy of ARAMARK, for the All Chocolate went to West Chester student, Leonarda Parenta and John Baker from the Art Department. Second place, awarded to Goshen hall RD, Melissa Mullins and students Maggie Cosgrove, Caitleen Fishman and Samantha Seltzer as well as Phil Tripp from Career Development received honorable mention.
First place in the Miscellaneous category went to student Brittany Moore, with her Mr. Peanut meets Ms. Caramel brownies and Beth Cooper from the housekeeping department with her Peanut Butter Fluffer Nutter brownies. Second prize went to student Joanna Pearson with her Rocky Road brownies and Lynn Klingensmith from student affairs with her Marbled brownies. Honorable mention in the Miscellaneous category was awarded to student Jessica Madeira with her Peanut Butter brownies and Lora Crosswhite from the Health Center with her Chocolate Toffee Almond brownies.
Following the Brownie Bake-Off was a brief day two sale that was held in the lobby of Sykes Student Union from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 19. This sale gave students an opportunity to purchase brownies they may have missed on Wednesday or ones they may have been craving from Wednesday’s contest. This also gave bakers a chance to get their brownies sold and make a larger income donated to the local food banks.
The Brownie Bake-Off is held each year at West Chester University and is organized by Margaret Tripp, Director of Service-Learning & Volunteer Programs. For more information about upcoming events or the Brownie Bake-Off please contact their office at 610-436-3379 or visit their office B 19 Killinger Hall. The Service-Learning & Volunteer Programs is also available on the web through the West Chester University website under Academics than Service-Learning.
Maggie Cosgrove is a third-year student majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in reading. She can be reached at MC626229@wcupa.edu.