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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#71: Sugar and Spice

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is baking cookies. Or, to be more honest, eating cookies — but you can’t have one without the other! From peppermint to gingerbread to iced sugar cookies, there are so many mouth-watering choices, and that’s just in my own culture. The flavors get even more varied and delectable as you head around the world.

But whether you’re a professional pastry chef in real life or someone whose cookies turn out looking more like lumps of coal, in stories our desserts can be whatever we want them to be. So get your imaginations preheating, because this week we’re going to be exploring all the different reasons and flavors that drive people to pick up the mixing bowl.

This week's prompts

Write about a group of people determined to win an award for making the biggest cookie ever.

High School – 62 stories

Write about someone investigating a break-in at a bakery. The only thing missing? A very secret ingredient.

Mystery – 106 stories

Write about two people who run rival bakeries, but fall in love during their town’s annual holiday festival.

Romance – 137 stories

Write about someone trying to recreate a grandparent’s signature baked good from memory.

Kids – 161 stories

Write about someone hosting a cookie exchange as a cover to hide the true reason for inviting one of their guests.

Dark – 141 stories

Stories

“A little bit of sugar but lots of poison too” by Arynn Diaz

Submitted to Contest #71

This is it! I look up the tall structure, even the right of the building scaring me to death. Am I really about to do this? I mean, you can get sued for this kind of thing right? Hell, if the man I'm after is indeed the owner of this building then if he sued me, my customers would be the least of my worries, shit, the damned bakkery would be the least of my worries. Maybe I should let it go either way, I mean, it can't be the end of the world if I sell my bakery right? I'll just sell it and move to another town, Crescent moon is not the ...

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“Cold. ” by Lee Doe

Submitted to Contest #71

It was cold, It didn’t take me very long to realize that. The feeling crept up the sleeves of my sweatshirt, spreading like a cancer. My body quivered back and forward in a shiver. Cold. I maximized the feeling, allowing it to spread. It settled into me, quite literally chilling me to my core. Every particle of my being could feel its effect. It’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold, it’s cold. It wasn’t...painful, it was a sensation that I almost enjoyed. Cold reminded me of..calm, of slowness, of perfection, of the w...

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“It's a Tradition!” by Cosma Nova

Submitted to Contest #71

Natalia opened her eyes wide and and stared at the ceiling fan spinning above her head. She knew she wasn't supposed to get out of bed this early in the morning, but her knees were shaking so much from excitement, that she simply just had to slip out. She put her feet on the chilly floor and her little toes curled up with excitement as she squeezed her stuffed cat to keep from squealing with joy. Today was St. Lucy's day and she was going to go to Nonna Bianchi's to make Russian Tea cookies! She spun in her Christmas night gown and turned t...

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“ Thief ” by Melia Mendoza

Submitted to Contest #71

I am John Hopkins a CSI this is my first year and I got the most dangerous job yet right now I am in my most dangerous case ever. I am on the case for the missing ingredient for the Lavender Bakery, the world's largest bakery. Nobody knows what the secret ingredient is except the founder of Lavender bakery Nick Lavender. “CSI Hopkins” I heard the lead detective say who was also my dad. “Yes Detective Hopkins” He looked at me with a serious expression on my face. My dad was always serious about cases but this time it felt different. Som...

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“The Sour Cake Murder” by Colin Devonshire

Submitted to Contest #71

“I suppose you expect to win the Christmas cake competition again this year?” asked Patty, the radio newspaper reporter. “I don’t like to brag, but, well, you know. I am the best baker in the village, so, I guess I’ll win… Again,” answered a grinning Gino. The listeners did not notice the raised eyebrows of Patty and Steve, the sound engineer. “It is well-known you always add something ‘extra’ to your recipes? Can you tell our listeners, what it is?” “I could, but then it wouldn’t be a secret. Stupid girl,” said Gino, his grin tu...

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“Strawberry Cannoli” by George Davis

Submitted to Contest #71

Police officers are everywhere on the strip mall searching for the culprits who broke into the Ninth Street Bakery. They enhance the streetlights with flashlights, search light and noise from a helicopter draws curious onlookers from the surrounding apartment buildings. The bakery’s ceiling lights make it easy for the police crime scene officers to search for evidence. Detectives Bogart and Cagney stand in the doorway observing. The bakery owner, Joseph, with his family arrive...

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“Guilty as charged” by Samadhee Ismail

Submitted to Contest #71

You are cordially invited to the Cookie Exchange Party which will be held on 15th December 2020 at Caroline Khan's house, 1235, Rosemont Avenue, Cincinnati Ohio 45219. For those of you who are new to this, here are some simple rules you could follow All cookies should be baked, homemade and the main ingredient should be flour. No plain chocolate chip cookies, cookie mixes, no bakes, meringues or bars Pleas bring 6 dozen total cookies Theme for this Cookie Exchange is "Christmas" (or you can make on any theme you like) Arrange the cookies...

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“Much Loved Pumpkin Pie” by Amy Darst

Submitted to Contest #71

Every holiday when I get in the kitchen I go back to a time that was simple and easy. I am standing in the kitchen, apron on, awaiting my grandmothers directions as we are making her famous pumpkin pie. I can smell the pie crust and the pumpkin in the air, I can picture my grandmother dancing and singing in the kitchen. I have been doing this for many holidays, all so I can try to remember what the ingredients are that my grandma used for her much loved pumpkin pie. I keep thinking that if I can recreate those memories, then something will s...

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“Hope and Memory” by Geeta Boodansingh

Submitted to Contest #71

The door of the bakery hung open, the broken steel lock twisted and gaping, like the maw of some felled beast. It was the back door, used mainly for deliveries for bulk ingredients, and it opened on to the inky dark of an alley way. The light over the door had been smashed too, and the starlight from the smog covered city sky didn't help much with illumination. She heard the footsteps approaching before she saw the dim beam of a flashlight, followed by the man in the rumpled sport coat, shirt and jeans. His shaggy brown hair was only a bit...

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“Unholy Christmas Cookies” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #71

The Olde One. The wicked leader of all things dark and unholy. The Chosen One who would lead the forces of darkness and evil to bring down all goodness in the world. The ancient supreme being from another realm who- according to unholy scripture- would burn down the churches, terminate the Vatican, and abolish all the governments of the world. There was only one way to bring the Olde One out from the depths of the wretched caves he lived in. ...

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“How the Cookie Rumbles” by Daryl Oliver

Submitted to Contest #71

Thumbprint, chocolate mint, pfeffemusse, petri salju, spritzgeback, speculaas, cuccidati, and other cookies were part of the exchange. It was an amazing spread of shapes and colors. And the gathering of people from Dave’s office building were equally as diverse. This was the first time that Dave had decided to host such an event, and he couldn’t wait for it to be all over. He wasn’t a good baker or even a baker at all. But his wife was very excited for Dave to go outside of his comfort zone and organize such a large get together. There were...

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“"Will you marry me this christmas, under the stars?"” by Victoire Debaecker

Submitted to Contest #71

*CONTENT / TRIGGER WARNING* THIS STORY REFERS TO CHILD ABUSE, SELF HARM AND MENTAL DISORDERS IN A NON EXPLICIT WAY AND MAY BE A TRIGGER PLEASE CEASE READING IF THIS IS OF ANY WORRY TO YOU (Have a good read! I hope you appreciate this story!) “Hello kids, today, we have exciting news for our freshmans : once again, Oliver Evans will participate in this year’s Christmas festival, his interview can be found in the school’s newspaper. He has asked for help in the shop during the holiday season and will select three of the freshmen from our sch...

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“Bittersweet” by Jade Orien🍀

Submitted to Contest #71

Five years I Melody Stewart had the best pastries in Toronto! For any special occasion, my bakery has always been the top place people in town would go to!Melody's Fresh Bakery! Was the name of my bakery. People love my cookie melt pastry.It is called this because once you bite into the cookie the filling melts in your mouth.It was one of my top-selling pastries!then one day all of this changed when a guy across the street decided to open up a bakery called Cosmos Cakes!The people of the town had told me that the owner's name was Edward Cosm...

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“Day Break” by John Del Rio

Submitted to Contest #71

This is the latest in a series of 4 stories so far that feature a couple in a Post-Apocalyptic setting. They start with "Just another day" and are chronological. They all have "Day" in the title. I enjoy any feedback.She looked over at him and gave a silent look of reproach. He saw the look; he always saw the look. He asked her “What?” And she told him, “I can’t find that can of candied fruit.”“Excuse me?” he asked. And continued with “can of what?”She told him “candied fruit; it’s kind of like jujubes or jelly beans, or maybe licorice”....

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“Gran Ma Ma's Sweet Potato Pie” by Chet McHenry

Submitted to Contest #71

Sharon was in a panic. In two days she was hosting her family’s annual Christmas reunion at her house. A tradition see sawing back and forth between the Washington family members for as long as she can remember. This year it was her turn to be hostess. The thought made her hair stand on end. Not only did she have to cook the traditional turkey and stuffing dinner for twenty or more of her cousins, aunts, uncles, grand kids, nephews, nieces, sister and brother in laws, she had to bake eight or nine of gra...

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$50

Prize money

607

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 11, 2020 EST

Won by A.Dot Ram 🏆

Title: The Craving

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

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