DAVENPORT, IOWA -- The holiday season means holiday food and that includes Christmas cookies. One Quad Cities baker put her cookie skills to the test on The Food Network's Christmas Cookie Challenge.
"Baking in front of those judges and being that far away from a tv camera was absolutely the most nerve wracking thing I’ve ever done in my life," Oh So Sweet Owner Tiphanie Cannon said. "It was exhilarating and fun."
“She deserves it more than anybody," employee Emma Fritz said. "She’s worked very hard for it, and I’m just so proud of her and I’m happy that she was chosen.”
Tiphanie Cannon, owner of Oh So Sweet in Davenport, made it to the final 3, but did not take home the $10,000 prize. She battled it out with four other contestants. They had two hours to make more than five hundred cookies.
Challenge One required the contestants to create a Christmas design inside the cookie dough. Cannon paid tribute to Iowa with her cookies. They were a red and green outline of the state and said home on them.
"What a perfect thing to do," Cannon said. "It would represent me and it represents the state. To put the little heart on Davenport and The Quad Cities, I thought was just the perfect touch."
During the next round, she was asked to make a cookie centerpiece. The kicker, she had to add a savory flavor. She used sage. The judges did enjoy her cookies, but she did loose in the final three.
Cannon says the experience was well worth it.
"I am a self taught baker, so even to be asked to do anything like this was an affirmation that I do know what I’m doing and I am a good baker," Cannon said. "I can do this and I am good enough to cook with the best bakers in the country."
Click here for the episode.