By Charly SHELTON

Another year, another awesome con. The LA Cookie Convention and Sweets Show was held last weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center and it was tasty. The con featured some of the best known names in the sweet treat industry alongside up-and-comers who were just starting out with a booth, an apron and a mixing bowl full of dreams.

As expected there were the industry greats like Otis Spunkmeyer, purveyor of cookies, cakes and treats of all kinds, and the locally popular Sprinkles cupcakes. But the real gems were the companies that one otherwise would not be exposed to, like MacTaggart’s Brand Vanilla and Baking supply out of Boise, Idaho.

Owner Joshua MacTaggart imports vanilla beans from around the world – Italy, Tahiti, Madagascar, Mexico – and makes vanilla extract using local (to him) 100% neutral alcohol produced from non-GMO Idaho russet Burbank potatoes, and pure mountain spring water. The process takes over six months from start to finish and the patience and care shows in the final product. He also makes vanilla salt grinder combos and vanilla cocoa grinder combos, which have given many dinners a sweet finishing touch. Living in LA, one would never be introduced to this vanilla purveyor from Idaho, yet through the Cookie Con he was discovered – as were others.

Some new discoveries were closer to home. Fookies, based out of Rocklin, California near Sacramento with locations near there and in Nevada, is a layer of cookie at the base, coated with thick fudge on the top. Its Ebony and Ivory was a favorite – a dark chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips base, topped with white chocolate fudge. Or the Drunken Cake Pops, based out of LA, which are cake pops infused with spirits. A crowd pleaser was the Drunken Monkey – banana nut cake infused with brandy. These cake pops are a nice way to put a new spin on the cake pop that has been played out.

Possibly the most telling booth of the con was the old standby, Sprinkles cupcakes. Sprinkles has 10 locations in California, nine of which are around LA, as well as single locations in the great cities of America – Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Disney World and Georgetown (Washington, D.C.). Three locations can be found in New York City and three in Texas (Austin, Dallas and Houston) plus more. This is a mainly urban chain, and some of the visitors to the con were shocked at how amazing the cupcakes were, that they had never heard of Sprinkles before and they couldn’t wait to get one in their locale. Sprinkles is easily accessible to locals in Glendale.

But that’s what this con does – it attracts cookie and cake fans from around the country who want to share what they love. Whether they are YouTube channel cooks, food blog writers, bakers, chefs or just someone who enjoys eating the final product, the LA Cookie Con attracted all kinds to the show and, from hearing delighted lip smacks and comments in passing, all those types had a great time.

For more information on Cookie Con, visit LaCookieCon.com, or for info on the companies mentioned in this article, visit mactaggartsbrand.com, fookie.net and DrunkenCakePops.com.

  Charly Shelton