All recipes were reviewed by an expert panel of judges, including Patrick Evans-Hylton, a local chef and editor of Virginia Wine Lovers magazine, as well as Greg Burroughs a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Virginia. The panel selected the top five based on the written recipe alone. From there, the top five recipes were prepared by students at the Culinary Institute of Virginia and reviewed by the same panel of judges to select the grand prize winner which was announced on December 23.

In addition to free transportation and accommodations during their three-day, two-night stay, the winner and a guest received complimentary tickets to the Boardwalk Food Tour in Virginia Beach, a walking excursion of the famed byway that stops at three oceanfront mainstays. Additionally, the winner will embark on the Granby Street Food Tour, which highlights a variety of food including traditional coastal dishes to modern, ethnic and sustainable cuisine of Virginia Beach’s neighbor city, Norfolk. While in Virginia Beach, the winner also will enjoy complimentary tickets to other attractions, including the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. Estimated value of the package is $2,000. ‘

And, the winner is. . .Cheryl Lundquist, from Wake Forest, N.C. Her Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Cookies will take Eight Maids-a-Milking to produce enough milk to wash down these decadent treats!

Click here for the full recipe

Sorry you didn’t enter?  Check back next year and maybe they will run it again!

For more information about Virginia Beach, visit online at www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com.