On Thanksgiving, Marion baker and businesswoman Debi Lindsey-Morrison appeared on the Food Network to compete in the Christmas Cookie Challenge. Debi runs a home bakery in Marion, Rolling in the Dough, with her wife Lisa. Using her 18 years of decorating cookies and 9 years of selling, she competed this past Thanksgiving alongside 3 other contestants. Debi says she got the confidence to compete from winning “Best Overall Cookie” at the Cape Cod Holiday Baking Classic.
The challenge this time was to create a Christmas dinner on a cookie. Contestants had 90 minutes to depict three foods on their cookies. Not in taste, but aesthetics. Debi’s dough was a cinnamon chip cookie with cinnamon royal icing. Her cookie depicted a marble slab with a garland runner. The three meals on her “table” were green beans, spicey meatballs, and lasagna.
While there were some hiccups along the way, Debi was able to think quick and correct as she went. She even was able to repair her cookie base after accidentally breaking it and cracking the icing with her hand.
After the primary competition, one of the four competitors was eliminated and Debi moved on to the second and final round. This round asked contestants to combine the ideas of cookies and pies to make a “Christmas cookie pie.” For two-and-a-half hours, they worked on a twelve-inch-long, one-inch-thick cookie with defined slices representing a pie.
Debi’s cookie pie was a maple pecan double chocolate chip cookie with a maple royal icing. She paired dark and milk chocolate chips with roasted almonds in her dough. Each one of her slices depicted things in and around the house during the Christmas season. Those being things like a Christmas tree, Christmas mug, fireplace, and even a gnome.
Ultimately, even with worries of how her cookie baked, Debi’s cookie pie came out on top (if the article title didn’t give it away). Her cookie showed off her skill piping icing and while it was beautiful, it was also, as the judges said, perfectly baked and “magic.”
For her victory, Debi received $10,000 and a golden ornament reading “Christmas Cookie Champion.”
To watch for yourself, watch the Christmas Cookie Challenge season 8, episode 5. We are very happy for Debi and excited to see this victory carry her further along her baking journey.
By Sam Bishop