Holiday Dessert Mystery Box Cook off

2nd Annual Winter Bake off - Get your bragging Rights

Get ready for a sweet showdown. Holiday Dessert Mystery Box Cook Off invites local cooks to put their creativity to the test with one surprise mystery ingredient from the Food Co-op.

This is a dessert-only competition, with dishes prepared in advance and showcased live at the KPTZ Holiday Extravaganza in partnership with PT Main Street and the PT Creative District. Guests and judges will sample, savor, and celebrate bold flavors, inventive ideas, and beautiful presentation.

Details, prizes and how to sign up below!

In Partnership with

Sweet… savory… unexpected. The heart of this Holiday Dessert Mystery Box Cook Off is the mystery. On competition night, every chef will be challenged with the same surprise ingredient, sourced from the Food Co-op and revealed only after sign-up. These ingredients are intentionally a little off the beaten path, flexible, intriguing, and full of potential — inviting chefs to stretch their creativity and reimagine what dessert can be.

While the final ingredient will remain under wraps until pickup, it will be one of the options below. Think rich textures, subtle umami, nutty depth, and playful twists that shine in the hands of a creative cook. How you transform it is entirely up to you.

Potential Mystery Bag Ingredients include:

    • Avocado

    • Buckwheat flour

    • Cashew cream

    • Chickpeas or aquafaba

    • Coconut cream

    • Dates

    • Hazelnut butter

    • Sesame seeds (black or white)

    • Sweet Potato

    • Tahini

    • White miso

One ingredient. Endless possibilities. What will you create?

What’s in the Mystery Bag?

How to Participate

  • Sign up by December 1st using the Form below.

  • Limited to the first 30 chefs to register!

  • Pick up your Mystery Ingredient Bag between December 3-10th at the Food Co-op Customer Service Desk

    • Your bag will be labeled with your name on it

  • Chefs are responsible for all ingredients except the secret ingredient

  • Prepare your dessert at home or in a commercial kitchen

  • Bring your finished dessert to the KPTZ Holiday Extravaganza on December 12th at 11am located in the Cotton Building downtown.

  • Each chef must provide:

    • a minimum of 50 bite-sized samples

    • 5 copies of the recipe to accompany your dessert (for the judges) bring extras to pass out to observers if you wish. We are happy to print these for you. Just send us an email Marketing@foodcoop.coop

Once you’ve signed up and picked up your mystery ingredient, it’s time to experiment, create, and bring your best dessert game to the KPTZ Holiday Extravaganza.

PRIZES

  • 1st Place: $300 Food Co-op Gift Card

  • 2nd Place: $100 Food Co-op Gift Card

  • 3rd Place: $50 Food Co-op Gift Card

JUDGING

Desserts will be judged live by a panel of 3-5 local food lovers and community judges.

Entries will be judged on creativity, flavor, and presentation.

HOW IT WORKS

  • Chefs will create their dessert at home or in a commercial kitchen

  • Each chef must provide enough samples for approximately 50 people

  • Desserts will be brought to Holiday Extravaganza December 12th at 11am to be displayed and tasted

  • The mystery ingredient from the Food Co-op must be featured in each dessert