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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

“The Real Stuff” by Louise Coley

Submitted to Contest #71

Dawn broke like a slow to warm up energy saving light bulb being hit with a sledgehammer. I watched the grey light seep it's way across the maze of grey streets from the grey-smudged window of my apartment- magnolia, with accents of grey. The steaming coffee in my hand reminded me of the inhabitants below. Dark. Bitter. Strangely pungent.The phone rang. I picked up.“Dick here,” I told the receiver.“We've had a message come in,” said Sally, ”Someone wants you to investigate a break-in up on 5th. Shall I come pick you up?”“See you in ten,” I r...

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“The Exchange” by Erica Bauman

Submitted to Contest #71

“Two percent battery. Perfect…” Jess grumbled. The girl standing in her periphery turned toward her, “Do you want to use my phone?” The girl held out a rose gold encased iPhone. Jess was momentarily mesmerized by the jeweled charms swinging at its side. “Hello?” the girl laughed. Jess cleared her throat, “Oh wow. I mean sure. I mean, are you sure?” “Yeah, it's cool. I doubt you would steal it. I’ve seen you in here before…with that guy…the minister guy?” “Yeah, that would be my stepdad…” Jess returned with a sigh, while tapping t...

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“Coo-Kie” by Sumaiya Shaikh

Submitted to Contest #71

“I am clearly saying that’s impossible to do and waste of time!” said Faith angrily, after a pause, Diya said, “Well, even the word impossible hides the word possible, see if we remove ‘im’ from possible, then its possible. I mean, everything is possible!” I controlled my laugh, but da*m it came out, I put my hand on my mouth to shut the fuck up, but seriously Diya did a shit right now. “Really, you are laughing Serrah?! I mean is this the time to show your teeth. Okay, if I stay here one more minute I am going to puke, so leave me alone and...

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“How the Cookie Crumbles ” by Leviathan Four

Submitted to Contest #71

“Hey, Nanna?” The scent of cinnamon hung in the air as I swept the brown powder and shards of glass into the dustpan. “Didn’t you used to make a kind of ginger-snickerdoodle hybrid cookie when I was younger?” “Yes. I made ginger cookies and snickerdoodle cookies and lots of other cookies.” She looked at me with a hint of confusion. It cleared as she recaptured the topic, “Which should we make, Lucy?” I felt a soft glow—the days when she remembered my name were the best ones. “Well,” I said, smiling at her. “I was thinki...

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“Mephibosheth” by Chris Wagner

Submitted to Contest #71

Armed with a tin of homemade cookies, I grabbed an iron knocker, rapping on the huge oaken doors of my employer's sprawling Victorian. Nothing. I scowled at the coffered door panels. You couldn't see a thing inside. I rang the doorbell. The sun had sunk below the horizon. Although the temperature wasn't that low, the wind was ice cold. I pulled my coat tight around my body. In retrospect, my pinafore, although cute, probably hadn't been the best thing to wear that time of year, I just thought it looked a bit class...

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“The Faerie Stone” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #71

Gavin wrung his soft hat between worried hands. He paced around the office, bare feet silent on the carpet, coming within an inch of running into every piece of furniture.Kat leaned out from behind the screen she was studying. "Gavin! Knock it off!" She didn’t have the patience to deal with his fidgeting at six o’clock in the morning, especially after the stress of the previous night.He stopped and leaned against the door, banging his head against the doorknob. "Ow! Stupid, big-people rooms!" The room was a standard human-scale room, but at ...

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“In The Dark” by Joe Bob

Submitted to Contest #71

To everyone at the bakeries, the man wrote, I am hosting a cookie exchange at my house at six o'clock, on December 3rd. It will be a holiday party. Bring your best cookies! There will be judging and tasting, so make sure to bring about two or three. He paused for a moment and thought. Please come on time, or up to ten minutes early. He went down a few lines and wrote down the address, the time once again, and the number for RSVP-ing. He looked at the clock above him on the red wall. One o'clock. He then walked over to his special printer and...

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“With Friends Like These” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #71

Katrin stood in her front room, biting her lip, frowning at her coffee table. In one hand she held a tablecloth, in the other the stack of doilies. When she’d been planning the day her mind had settled on doilies, and from the instant she’d seen them in the shop she’d been picturing. But now the time had come to put them out, she was having second thoughts. It wasn’t just that half her guests would mock her for them – after all the years she’d known them she was used to their gentle teasing. The problem bugging her was whether the skinny whi...

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“Cards, Mirrors & Spices ” by Marion Donnellier

Submitted to Contest #71

The face in the mirror was not her own. It was harsher, her eyes were smaller and her skin was wrinkled. She saw what would become of her is she did nothing. Out at sea, she had dreamt for her to disappear, kneeling down on the church bench, she prayed for her to leave and vanish and late at night, in her dearest and most precious dreams, she had wished for her cousin to simply die. Willa was the daughter of a gifted apothecary and only heir to her mother's kingdom. She came from a long generation of silver-haired daughters who ruled the fog...

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“Family Secrets.” by Patricia Green

Submitted to Contest #71

As detective Frank Russo slid out of his car he pulled his coat tighter, and his hat down lower, against the cold, driving, unseasonal rain. The flashing lights of the police cars were mirrored in the puddles forming on the road, like a thousand carousels at a carnival. “Why would anyone in their right mind pick a night like this to break into a Bakery?” he thought. Showing his badge to the rookie guarding the front door, he gratefully walked inside the brightly lit Bakery. The Bakery was spotlessly clean and tidy, nothing out of place, ...

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“Mary's story ” by Molly Poling

Submitted to Contest #71

"Ugh, I hate him so much!" "He is stealing my customers" I said to my best friend who happened to be in my bakery. She comes almost every morning to get a black coffee and a homemade muffin. I made everything is my shop by hand and Adam was still getting more customers and I can't figure out how! Speaking of the tall, and devilshly handsome rival Adam. He walks into my shop like he owns the place and orders a coffee. "What brings you here? I smirked. I didn't like him but he was so sexy. Ugh what am I saying ...I dont know what has come over...

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“Break In” by Puhalenthi Ramesh Vidhya

Submitted to Contest #71

"Detective Leo, the nation's renowned detective has solved the case of the missing ingredient. He has done this by...", said Leo to his grandkids. "Wait... wait," interrupted Matthew, one of Leo's grandkids. "Shhhhhhhhh. Don't make grandpa stop the story," Angela exclaimed. Matthew made a face at her. "You can't be the boss of me," he replied, in a harsh tone. "Yeah. You make us play whatever you want," said Sam. "I just wanted to get a quick snack," Matthew replied. Sam turned around and stared at Matthew "This time,...

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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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“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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“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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