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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.
