Winner of the 11th Annual Word’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition Crowned on Beaver Creek's Opening Day
Beaver Creek, Colo., Nov. 26, 2014 – Beaver Creek Resort opened today with 589 acres of terrain available for skiing and snowboarding, making for one of the best opening days in history. Six feet of snow in November made for excellent skiing conditions and the new Centennial Express combination lift debuted with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. The new lift allowed resort guests to enjoy first rides in either the 10-passenger gondola cabins or on the six-person chairs; gondola cabins were stocked with fresh chocolate chip cookies in the morning. After a full day of skiing and riding, guests taste-tested 5,000 cookies at the 11th Annual World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition, held at 2 p.m. After sampling all of the cookies, guests had the opportunity to vote on their favorite recipe. Kristen Gorrell from Gypsum, CO and her “baker’s Dozen” recipe took home the top honors. Her recipe is the new official recipe of the Beaver Creek cookie for the season and she was also rewarded with $1,000 in prize money.
Kristen, along with four other finalists, baked 1,000 cookies each today that were quickly consumed by voting guests. Cookie chefs submitted their entries to Beaver Creek Resort Company in October and the five finalists were chosen by local judges. The top five cookie finalists include Lori Lavicka of Avon, CO; Cassie Sewell of Eagle, CO; Kristen Gorrell of Gypsum, CO; Hannah Bailey of Lone Tree, CO; and Julianna Kopec of Avon, CO. Entries came from all over Colorado, Texas, California, Wisconsin, Georgia and Oregon to name a few. A three-generation family all visiting from Florida, was picked to serve as the official judging panel for the competition. Second place winner, Hannah Bailey with “Hannah’s Mile High Chocolate Morsels”, was awarded $750; and third place winner, Julianna Kopec with “Cookies of Prey”, received $500. Fourth place recipient, Lori Lavicka with “2015 Champion Chip Cookie”, received two tickets to Dancing Like Pros Live performance at the Vilar Performing Arts Center and fifth place winner, Cassie Sewell with “Cassie’s World Class Chocolate Chip Cookies”, received two tickets to the Cirque Mechanics Pedal Punk at the Vilar.
Winning Recipe by Kristen Gorrell: Baker’s Dozen
Ingredients:
· 2 1/4 cups Flour
· 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
· 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
· 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Partially Melted
· 3/4 cup Granulated White Sugar
· 1/2 cup Tightly Packed Brown Sugar
· 3 tablespoons Additional Brown Sugar
· 2 teaspoons Vanilla
· 1 Large Egg
· 1 Egg Yolk
· 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Cookie Time is Beaver Creek’s signature guest service program that takes place daily at 3 p.m. with Cookie Time chefs in chef whites serving warm, fresh, chocolate chip cookies on silver trays to skiers and snowboarders. The Cookie Time tradition started in 1985 and evolved into the cookie competition in 2004 providing opening day guests with a village celebration. More than 500,000 cookies are served annually and the new Beaver Creek Cookie & Crepe Company, located by Beaver Creek Lodge, now allows guests to purchase their favorite Beaver Creek cookies to take home.
For more information on Beaver Creek and Beaver Creek events taking place this winter season, please visit www.BeaverCreek.com.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Kristen, along with four other finalists, baked 1,000 cookies each today that were quickly consumed by voting guests. Cookie chefs submitted their entries to Beaver Creek Resort Company in October and the five finalists were chosen by local judges. The top five cookie finalists include Lori Lavicka of Avon, CO; Cassie Sewell of Eagle, CO; Kristen Gorrell of Gypsum, CO; Hannah Bailey of Lone Tree, CO; and Julianna Kopec of Avon, CO. Entries came from all over Colorado, Texas, California, Wisconsin, Georgia and Oregon to name a few. A three-generation family all visiting from Florida, was picked to serve as the official judging panel for the competition. Second place winner, Hannah Bailey with “Hannah’s Mile High Chocolate Morsels”, was awarded $750; and third place winner, Julianna Kopec with “Cookies of Prey”, received $500. Fourth place recipient, Lori Lavicka with “2015 Champion Chip Cookie”, received two tickets to Dancing Like Pros Live performance at the Vilar Performing Arts Center and fifth place winner, Cassie Sewell with “Cassie’s World Class Chocolate Chip Cookies”, received two tickets to the Cirque Mechanics Pedal Punk at the Vilar.
Winning Recipe by Kristen Gorrell: Baker’s Dozen
Ingredients:
· 2 1/4 cups Flour
· 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
· 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
· 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Partially Melted
· 3/4 cup Granulated White Sugar
· 1/2 cup Tightly Packed Brown Sugar
· 3 tablespoons Additional Brown Sugar
· 2 teaspoons Vanilla
· 1 Large Egg
· 1 Egg Yolk
· 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Cookie Time is Beaver Creek’s signature guest service program that takes place daily at 3 p.m. with Cookie Time chefs in chef whites serving warm, fresh, chocolate chip cookies on silver trays to skiers and snowboarders. The Cookie Time tradition started in 1985 and evolved into the cookie competition in 2004 providing opening day guests with a village celebration. More than 500,000 cookies are served annually and the new Beaver Creek Cookie & Crepe Company, located by Beaver Creek Lodge, now allows guests to purchase their favorite Beaver Creek cookies to take home.
For more information on Beaver Creek and Beaver Creek events taking place this winter season, please visit www.BeaverCreek.com.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Park City and Canyons in Utah; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
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