One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Photos: Cookies, Cakes And More Sweet Treats At The L.A. Cookie Convention
Aspiring bakers, dessert enthusiasts and those with a really big sweet tooth headed downtown this weekend for a massive cookie convention.
The second annual LA Cookie Con took over a huge hall at the L.A. Convention both Saturday and Sunday, and LAist went to see and taste all the deliciously sweet bites. From samples of goodies from bakeries and specialty supplies for sale to live demos and competitions, the convention was a bit like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. And while there wasn't any chiding from green-haired Oompa-Loompas, a few attendees did dress up in sweet-inspired attire for the occasion.
The hall was packed with crowds gathering around dozens of tables featuring bites from L.A. pastry chefs, bakeries and catering companies. We sampled everything from red wine-infused chocolate cupcakes to spicy chocolate vegan cookies and Filipino-style ube-flavored créme caramel to Brazilian brigaderio made with sweetened condensed milk, butter and chocolate. There were also quite a few savory items to balance out our sweet tooth, including the really delicious empanadas from World Empanadas in Burbank. In addition to offering samples, nearly every table offered treats for purchase if you wanted to take something home.
For anyone looking to take their sweets skills to the next level, there were plenty of live demos. There were talks from pasty personalities like Food Network’s "Sweet Genius" Ron Ben-Israel, YouTube’s "Nerdy Nummies" host Rosanna Pansino, and even an appearance from the "Ace of Cakes" himself Duff Goldman. Throughout the convention hall, attendees could also try their hand at cake decorating and learn all there is to know about fondant, pie crusts, vegan and raw desserts, and more. Bakers could also stock up on various ingredients and gadgets for their kitchen.
The Roaring 20s-themed dessert table (Photo by Danny Jensen/LAist)
Attendees to LA Cookie Con could also check out cookies, cakes, and other confections that were submitted for competitions like the decorator's showcase and the dessert table championship. There we saw everything from a Roaring 20s-themed table of cakes and pastries to a series of Star Wars cakes in the shape of R2-D2, BB-8 and Darth Vader.
With a full belly of sweets and a bag loaded with treats to go, we left looking forward to next year.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
