2026 Chefs Gallery

About the Competitors

Kirsten McTavish of Little Sweets

Cookie Creation: Brown Butter Mini Egg — A soft and chewy brown butter cookie filled with mini eggs.

Ingredients: Flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, Cadbury Mini Eggs, eggs, milk powder, cornstarch, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

I’ve always loved baking since I was a child, but dove headfirst into it after becoming a mom. What started out as a hobby to keep me busy grew into a small business. I’d say that I’m known for my brown butter cookies and recently launched cookie dippers, which is my take on a homemade dunkaroo (I offer a new seasonal flavour every month). Everything is baked fresh with love. Follow Kirsten of Little Sweets on Instagram.

Fiona, Rylee, Lili, Jael, Khiana, & Evie ~ Cookie Monsters

Cookie Creation: Blue Cookie Monster Cookie stuffed with an Oreo cookie

Ingredients: Butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, blue food colouring, flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, mini chocolate chip cookies (Chips Ahoy), and Oreo cookies.

A spirited team of talented grade 7 students from Highlands School who are ready to show that big baking skills come in small (but mighty) packages! Armed with creativity, teamwork, and a serious love of cookies, these young bakers are bringing their A-game to the Cookie-Off. Don’t let the name fool you — they’re not just here to eat cookies… they’re here to win! With enthusiasm, imagination, and plenty of chocolate chips, The Cookie Monsters are proof that the next generation of great bakers is already rising.

Purple Penguins ~ Educational Assistants & Administrative Assistants from Highlands School

Cookie Creation: Still baking up the concept!

Ingredients: TBD

Our team is made up of the incredible Educational Assistants and Administrative Assistants from Highlands School—a group brought even closer together during our time on strike. We proudly wear purple, the colour of CUPE 3550, and like true Edmontonians, we braved some of the harshest Arctic weather imaginable. Somewhere along the way, we started calling ourselves “the penguins,” waddling the picket line side by side. What began as a challenging time turned into something meaningful—the unbreakable bond of our group. And now, we’re bringing that same spirit (and a little sweetness) to the cookie-off!

Berlin Anderson, Aiden Hammermeister, & Rhyan Vercholuk ~ Highlands Alumni

Cookie Creation: Classic comforting cinnamon bun in a cookie form with a hidden surprise…

Ingredients: Unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated white sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and milk.

3 best friends who met at Highlands Jr. High, graduated in 2022 and have stayed close. Competing in the Cookie-Off as a team for the 4th year.

Haddie & Esme ~ BFF Cookie Club

Cookie Creation: Cotton Candy Cookie Crunch — Cotton candy flavoured cookie with cereal crunch!

Ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, large egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, pink food colouring, blue food colouring, and sprinkles.

Say hello to Haddie and Esme — a dynamic duo of best friends from Grade 3 at Highlands School, bringing big smiles and even bigger baking excitement to this year’s Cookie-Off! These two BFFs are all about fun, creativity, and teamwork. Whether they’re mixing up ingredients or giggling through the process, you can bet they’re putting their whole hearts into every cookie they make. Don’t let their age fool you — they may be small, but they’re ready to impress! With friendship as their secret ingredient and a love for all things sweet, Haddie and Esme are here to show that baking is better together. This year, they’re bringing: Cotton Candy Cookie Crunch...say that 5 times fast! Sweet, fun, and full of personality — we can’t wait to see (and taste!) what these two come up with!

Chef Levi Biddlecombe of Backstairs Burger

Cookie Creation: Compost Cookie — Cookie dough with coffee grounds, potato chips, pretzels, and toffee bits, stuffed with a brownie and topped with KD Cheese and caramel.

Ingredients: Flour, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, toffee bits, instant coffee, potato chips, pretzels, KD cheese powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Chef Levi has been cooking in Edmonton for over 16 years, building a reputation for creativity, precision, and bold flavour. He has competed on Food Network’s Chopped Canada and Fire Masters, and has also taken part in the Great Kitchen Party eight times. A longtime supporter and past competitor of the Highlands School Culinary Arts Cook-Off, he continues to champion local culinary talent and community events. Throughout his career, he has owned both a food truck and a fine-dining restaurant, gaining experience across a wide range of culinary styles. Today, he is the creative force behind Backstairs Burger, where his passion for elevated comfort food truly shines. Follow Levi on Instagram and Facebook, and Backstairs Burger on Instagram and Facebook.

Angie Eyre ~ Grandma Angie's Bakehouse

Cookie Creation: Salted Toffee Popcorn Cookie

Ingredients: Butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Skor toffee bits, and popcorn.

Meet Grandma Angie — a true baking legend with years of experience and a reputation that peaks every Christmas season. Known for whipping up trays upon trays of cookies for family, friends, and anyone lucky enough to stop by, Angie has turned holiday baking into an art form. From perfectly golden classics to crowd-favourite treats that disappear in minutes, her cookies are made with tradition, care, and a whole lot of love. If you’ve ever had one of Angie’s Christmas cookies, you already know — she doesn’t bake small batches, and she definitely doesn’t miss. Now she’s bringing her holiday magic to the Cookie-Off… and let’s just say, she’s been training for this her whole life.

Irene VanderHoek

Cookie Creation: Gluten-free Snickerdoodle

Ingredients: Butter (unsalted), sugar, eggs, gluten-free flour, cream or tartar, baking soda, and cinnamon.

I am a retired Administrative Assistant with EPSB and a proud grandmother of 3. I love sewing and creating handmade pieces. Living with celiac disease, I follow a gluten-free lifestyle and enjoy sharing safe, delicious treats.

Kamila Szelazek of Emberly Bakery

Cookie Creation: Classic Vanilla Oat Cookie with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients: Organic rolled oats, organic oat flour, organic coconut butter, organic oat milk, 9-allergen-free whey protein, organic baking powder, organic cinnamon, and organic 100% dark chocolate.

Emberly Bakery started in our kitchen, honestly, just from craving something sweet that didn’t leave us feeling heavy after. We love desserts — we just didn’t love how most of them made us feel. So we started experimenting, trying to create something that still felt indulgent, but lighter and more balanced. What came out of that was Emberly — a small Edmonton-based brand where everything is made by hand, with simple ingredients, high protein, and no added sugar. We don’t try to make “healthy desserts” — we just make desserts that feel really good to eat. For this event, we wanted to bring something that represents us fully — familiar, comforting, and done really well. Something you take one bite of and immediately want another. Follow Kamila of Emberly Bakery on Instagram and Facebook.

Imani, Judy, Trudie, & Glori

Cookie Creation: Oatmeal thimble cherry compote and drizzled with dark chocolate

Ingredients: Flour, shortening, lactose-free milk, sugar, dark chocolate, rolled oats, brown sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, eggs, and cherry compote.

Our team brings together a powerhouse of Canadian, African, Jamaican, and Filipino perspectives to perfect a single, standout entry. We have channelled our diverse culinary backgrounds into a masterfully crafted oatmeal thumbprint cookie featuring a rich cherry compote filling. Topped with a precise chocolate drizzle, this entry showcases our collective dedication to technical excellence and high-quality ingredients.

Theresa & Sophia Yaremchuk ~ Double Trouble

Cookie Creation: Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Ingredients: Cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, baking soda, and flour.

Double Trouble is a dynamic mother-daughter duo made up of Theresa and Sophia Yaremchuk. Theresa, an early childhood educator, works with three-year-olds and brings patience, creativity, and care into everything she does. Sophia is a Grade 8 student who has been part of the Highlands community for the past five years. Theresa has always had a passion for baking, and over time, Sophia has developed her own love for it by helping out in the kitchen. Together, they combine experience and enthusiasm to create something truly special—proving that baking is even better when it’s shared.