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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

“Bitter Flavours” by Ellie Francis

Submitted to Contest #71

Vanessa carefully placed her cookies inside the cellophane bag, then printed the ingredients clearly on the label. Chocolate and chili. Not a flavour she would choose for herself, but that was what her recipient in the Christmas cookie exchange, Tom, had requested. The strong taste would hopefully hide any deficiencies in her baking.Vanessa wrote Tom’s name on the other side of the label, and threaded it onto a length of shiny red ribbon. She tied the ribbon around the neck of the bag, sealing it securely, and then placed it in the larg...

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“Lizzie” by Hope Mwaura

Submitted to Contest #71

He has to be here somewhere, Elizabeth thought to herself. She was sure she had sent him the invite. “Hey,” her husband, Jack, interrupted her thoughts. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be here. As for now, enjoy the event.” He kissed her cheek and continued saying hello to the guests who had just arrived. He was right. She had to stop worrying when she had guests to entertain. She walked over to the bright red and green decorated table and took in the familiar scents of cinnamon and peppermint. The cookies looked great. The décor of red and gre...

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“Midnight Tea Time” by Stephen McLean

Submitted to Contest #71

10 YEARS FROM NOW 5 YEAR ONGOING WAR WITH NO END IN SIGHT LOOSING TO THE OTHER SIDE Abe walks into the small dim lit Irish Pub, pausing to stand at the entrance, as he scans the area for any hostiles. Droplets of water run slowly down the long leather coat from the never ending rain outside. The patrons briefly pause and glance at the tall dark rugged leather clad figure standing in the establishment doorway before continuing with their lives. Eyeing a small single table in a far corner of the pub, Abe walks slowly past the usual patro...

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“Pinwheel in Faith” by Sylas Seabrook

Submitted to Contest #71

“Absolutely, Janie. The church cares for every member of the flock. Please see Annie on your way out.”“Bless you, Pastor Marcus. This is going to be fun.”Janie went to the door of the church and used her key fob to start the car warming, She went Annie's desk. “Hi Annie. Marcus said I should stop by. How are you?”Annie smiled coyly as she retrieved an envelope from the top right drawer. “I’m doing great, Janie. Here’s the key to the room. I mentioned the request ahead of time. Pastor Marcus asked me to add something from the congregation,” s...

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“The Not-so-Duff Duff Duff” by Tanja Cilia

Submitted to Contest #71

The plan was perfect. At least, so it seemed, on paper. I was chosen to bring to fruition a Sting Operation for the Government of Zirconia, with the aid of the Secret Service. I was to go, find a huge house, buy it, and insinuate myself into the community. I would work undercover, and help nab all the bad apples that passed my way… that is, members of the Five Families that went by the oldest documented surnames in Zirconia – Allard, Catteja, Faljon, Glech, and Lenponi. How I would do so was up to me – but money was no going to be a pr...

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“Breaking All the Rules” by Danielle Burke

Submitted to Contest #71

“This makes me feel a little sick, Rachel, using Christmas as a set up for an ambush.” Kate fingered a piece of holly that stood proudly around the punch bowl and avoided her friend’s direct gaze. “Kate, it’s a cookie exchange. It’s the perfect set up for a little minor questioning. That’s what we do at these things anyway, right? Stand around and pump information out of each other?” “But the information isn’t always this. . .” Kate paused to grasp the right word. “Specific.” “Look, a young, unattached woman applies for a secreta...

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“Tribute” by Lily Harbingerr

Submitted to Contest #71

The shop bell rang and there she was, Gretta Emilia Kroll, the most beautiful human I had ever met. Watching her lick crumbs from her lips after the first bite of a double chocolate chip cookie had been the highlight of my day back when we were in high school together.In the 10th grade I started working the front counter of my family’s bakery-slash-coffee-slash-holistic remedies shop. My mom was a hippie that never quite turned yuppie in the 80’s like the rest of her generation did, so homema...

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“A record to be broken” by Cliff M.

Submitted to Contest #71

It was a quiet morning as Edwin and Alisha were enjoying their coffee, it was their normal ritual, they were usually accompanied by Ellie but she was nowhere to be found and she wouldn’t return and text messages. “So how was your weekend,” asked Alisha purely out of politeness, while also staring at her phone, she was like that before she got coffee. “It was pretty good, I had to-” Out of nowhere, the door burst open and Ellie came running towards the group. “Hey sorry I’m late, but we have to go, We’ve only got a month left to do this...

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“Battle of the Cookies” by AddieD ❤️❤️

Submitted to Contest #71

"I am proud to announce we are going to have a cookie competition for the holidays. The best cookies will win the competition and the grand prize of $200!" the mayor, Katie Westerbern says to the town. My best friend Harper elbows me. "We could enter!" she whispers excitedly. "We could, except for the fact that the only thing I can make is peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwiches," I reply. Harper laughs, and people around us shush her. On the first Saturday and the last Saturday of each month, Mayor Westerbern gathers the entire town and annou...

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“The giant cookie ” by Joan Opoyi

Submitted to Contest #71

It was spring 2014 when i first realized that there is nothing impossible in this world.It took the wall of Jericho to be built in three days;I had to let out my dream of becoming the best chef out of the box,to smell the success.Men will always move around you with discouraging words -'that can't happen'.I couldn't let their words go through my ears; filling my mind with nasty dirts but I had to walk with my head straight up like a giraffe looking everywhere not to miss a single thing that passes infront of my eyes. The 'Guiness book of Rec...

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“"The Bakery on Third!"” by Adrien Spoklie

Submitted to Contest #71

The police sirens filled the night with noise and light. Red and blue illuminating the street as the yellow tape was strewn about the building. Aaron Pulitz stepped out of his old car. He took a long drag on the cigarette in his mouth, pulled it out, breathed in the poison, then dropped the rest of it to the floor stomping it out with a hard boot. Aaron had never thought his career would lead him here. The bakery on 3rd Street. A small building which usually had a large window to show off the tons of cakes and other baked goods. But now it w...

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“Who Stole My Cookie Love?” by Hudson Kelly

Submitted to Contest #71

Having arrived home and preparing for the night of relaxing; I received a phone call that I needed to come back to the bakery. "Why i asked?" "Someone had broken in and not only was the alarm triggered. " "I was needed to come so I could tell the police officers if anything had been taken." I grabbed my keys and while driving all I could think about who would rob a bakery and what would they actually take? I had been in business now for seven years and with everything going on; in the world I wasn't prone to close shop because. W...

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“The Hungry Heist” by Bill Watkins

Submitted to Contest #71

A note to the reader: This is a work of fiction. Any real persons mentioned have been placed in a fictional context and reflect no actual or true events. There is graphic content, but only for the specific goal of bringing awareness to social justice issues. Enjoy! *** Why they called me, I have no idea... But, hey, I was always grateful and honored to receive! Humbly, I accepted the job... Another non-violent crime, and another—thank God—non-violent approach to solving it... I’m Bill Watson, if ...

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“Vague” by Avi Jain

Submitted to Contest #71

Pod, don’t touch anything, and I do mean ‘anything’, until James come here. Said Lewis while calling James, he added (to James). Hey James, I’m Lewis (hey Lewis, why do you sound so serious?). A robbery happened at my bakery, someone broke in and I need your help, can you come here?? (Yes, yes, I’ll see you in half hour, I’m leaving right away.) Thanks please come. Pod asked in his confusion, what are we doing Lewis till James find his way here. Nothin...

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“Fraud "N Fiction” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #71

Fraud ‘N Fiction By Heather Ann Martinez Busted. No way! Maybe I can talk my way out of this one? Officer. Officer, oh what is your name? I kept looking at the floor, then the ceiling, then back to the floor. I kept trying to roll the caramel from my fingers. I knew I had powdered sugar all over my bangs. I was in the middle of baking a new recipe at home when the bakery alarm went off. To my knowledge, nothing else was stolen. All of the cake ware was accounted for. Nothing else was touched except for the secret ingredient for ...

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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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