SOUTHINGTON – On most mornings Rachel Tedeschi can be found in the kitchen of Gio Foods, an Italian market, combining fresh and name-brand ingredients into a Cuisinart mixer. If she's not making a cookie or bread batter, she's scooping out large balls of gooey, chunky oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie batter onto a scale. Eventually, the 2-ounce scoops of dough will become large, thick cookies that Tedeschi encourages all to "have a bite" of.
Since Tedeschi started her business, Rachel's Cookies and Treats, a year and a half of ago, she has been able to get her cookies into the Whole Foods stores in West Hartford and Glastonbury as well as other local shops. She also placed first, second and third in February at the Connecticut Specialty Food Association awards competition for a number of goods she entered. Tedeschi's quick bread and peanut brittle won first prize in their respective categories.
Specialty Food Association Director Tricia Levesque said more than 40 judges tested goods that were judged on consistency, taste, color and overall appeal. Levesque said judges include chefs, food columnists, food critics, media personalities and cookbook writers.
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