Candidate Cookies Show Tight Presidential Race

If cookie sales at the Ultimate Pastry Shop are any indicator, the race between President Obama and Governor Romney is too close to call.

If cookie sales at The Ultimate Pastry Shop in Sewickley are any indication, the race between President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney is tight. Bakery owner Tina Echement said the pastry shop on Thursday began selling political sugar cookies that contain edible, caricature-like images of the candidates. Customers can either go for the portrait cookie that resembles their presidential pick or opt for the anti-cookie—one with a red slash across the initials of the undesired candidate. Election Day is the last day to purchase the cookies if you want your vote to be counted in the bakery's mock election. Store hours are 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Echement said people see them as a fun way to get involved in the elections. The bakery is …

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Inside Voice

Getting Red-dy for the Holidays

Our Patch columnist says it's time for him to get serious about baking and shopping for Christmas.

Have you ever noticed how everything baked at the chain grocery stores tastes the same? (Since Andy Rooney has been "canceled," I thought I would steal one of his opens.) Say you buy a cake and half of it is vanilla and the other half is chocolate, both sides will taste the same. It’s not really chocolate and vanilla; it’s black and white. It’s as if color is now a flavor. I’m all for that. Like orange is a color and a flavor. I would like to nominate red as a color and a flavor, because when you get something red it always has a certain flavor. It’s not nearly as distinctive as orange but you know it has a certain "redness" to it. Ah, but you say, what about stuff that’s red but hot as in hot and spicy, not hot in the sense of “why the …

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What's Your Favorite Girl Scout Cookie?

Which type of cookie will you order when the Girl Scouts stop by?

If, like most Sewickley residents, you’ve been looking forward to your Thin Mints and Samoas, then the wait is almost over! Girl Scouts began taking orders of all eight varieties of cookies on Jan. 7 in Western Pennsylvania. Delivery is planned to begin later this week, but in case the scouts missed your house, check out the cookie locator here. There are plenty of boxes of Tagalongs,Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Trefoils, Dulce de Leches and Thank U Berry Munches to go around!

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Smiley, Happy Steelers Cookies

Vivian, the "cookie maker," decorates black-and-gold Smiley cookies Friday night at Eat 'n Park.

Vivian, the "cookie maker," decorates black-and-gold Smiley cookies Friday night at the Sewickley Eat 'n Park on Ohio River Boulevard. She did not provide her last name.

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