We wrapped up our Cookie Con weekend and it was a whirlwind of a show! There was always something to see and plenty of samples to taste. What made the experience even more enjoyable was the wide variety of exhibitors. Sure, there were plenty of cake, cookie, cupcake, and cake pop companies, as well as cooking schools and baking accessory sellers in attendance, but we also enjoyed candy and some unexpected food items.

One of the first booths we visited was Cowboy Toffee Co. For us, it was definitely the right way to start the show. Sam and Dan are really great people and they make some amazing American toffee in Oakdale, California — the cowboy capital of the world. Not at all your traditional English toffee, this toffee is crunchy (without being too hard) and made with ingredients like hickory smoked sea salt and roasted coffee Our favorite flavors are their Mustang Toffee, a more traditional American-style toffee made with roasted almonds, and Ghost Town Toffee, made with dark chocolate and ghost peppers. Visit their website  to see more and buy a real treat.

We enjoyed the handcrafted, bite-sized confections from Loaf, an Auckland, New Zealand bakery started by celebrity chef Sean Armstrong. Sean was handing out his delectable treats with perfect names like Gooey Caramel Bites. Who could resist? We were in confection heaven when we tried the Rocky Road Bites — toasted nuts, soft marshmallows, chewy fruit jubes, and chocolate. This booth was very special because right now the Loaf products are available only in New Zealand and Hong Kong. So, of course, we bought a selection of treats for our stash. We will keep checking in on Loaf because they should soon be more widely available online.

A nice surprise was discovering the Noori brother’s Proper’s Pickles. These are some of the best tasting pickles we’ve ever had. The no-nonsense brine is made of vinegar, water, and salt.  Whether green beans, cauliflowers, or cucumbers, the pickled products that Proper’s Pickles produce are crisp and fresh. As they are a young company, you can only find their products at select farmer’s markets and a few retail locations in Southern California although they can ship to U.S. customers. Take a look at their website for the details. They are worth seeking out!

There were two other popular non-confection exhibitors that we especially liked. One was Banzai Jerky. From the constant flow of interested attendees, the products were a hit. They offered samples of beef and bacon jerky, both of which were very flavorful and tender. We especially liked the spicy teriyaki. There were also long lines for World Empenadas. Empanadas are like little pastry turnovers filled with savory ingredients and served hot. Chicken, steak,  and vegetarian empenadas were on offer at the convention. We visited the booth both days and tried each of the flavors. We are fans! We will definitely stop at World Empanadas the next time we are anywhere near Burbank.

One of the main sponsors of Cookie Con was Otis Spunkmeyer. Most people with a sweet tooth will know them for their tasty chocolate chip cookies. They were showcasing a new line of mini muffins and cakes (think Twinkies, but more natural) at this show. Jonathan Davis, the developer of the new mini cakes, made sure we knew that they was “no funky stuff” added to them.  The no funky stuff product line is rolling out now. Look for it!

In addition to the exhibitors, there were several demos, panels and discussions taking place around the hall. Food Network celebs and online stars were in attendance. Ron Ben-Israel demonstrated sugar flowers before both he and Duff Goldman presented a special, multi-layer cake. It was eventually cut up and passed out to the audience. We were lucky enough to get a piece. Rosanna Pansino, author of Nerdy Nummies and online baking star, drew a huge crowd of fans as she talked about baking. She gave the audience insight into how she manages her business and and very popular social media presence. It was a pleasant surprise for us newcomers to learn tips from someone who is realizing success online.

Whether sweet or savory, there were plenty of samples from around the globe – Brazil, Japan, Spain, Jamaica, Armenia, and the list goes on — and attendees from at least as many places. Seeing the big and happy crowd at Cookie Con 2016, we can only imagine that next year will be even bigger and better. We’re looking forward to making a return visit in 2017!

 

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