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Get out of the way Cookie Monster
because Harrison’s Isabelle Wong has claimed the title of Cookie Master.
Wong, 10, daughter of Ronald and Colette Wong, recently took first place in the 10-12 age group of the Busken Bakery Color-a Cookie and Design Contest.
It was icing on the cookie for the Harrison Elementary fourth-grader, who added the victory to an impressive string of similar achievements.
 The Harrison girl’s artistic accomplishments include first in the Bigg’s Easter coloring contest, spring 2009; Whitewater Community Credit Union Christmas Coloring Contest, winter 2010; Harrison Elementary PTA Reflections Drawing Contest, second-grade winner, 2010-2011; Miami Savings and Loan Christmas Coloring Contest, winter 2012; and Graeter’s Baseball-themed Coloring/Design Contest, summer 2012.
Down to five
Isabelle’s design was selected by Busken Bakery’s staff as one of five finalists in her age group, and then Facebook voters catapulted her to sweet success.
The design features a bunny, an Easter basket brimming with eggs, and an egg-shaped sun.
“I just thought of it myself. It was getting close to Easter,” said Isabelle, adding the egg-shaped sun as another way to make the design “more Eastery.”
“I had a lot of fun because when I got my cookies from Busken, my family said these taste really good, and they liked my drawing.”
Encouraging her friends and their friends to vote also made the contest a lot of fun, said Isabelle.
“I explained to her that she was really already a winner since her design was chosen by the Busken Bakery staff based on creativity, presentation, and other artistic measures rather than a popularity contest on Facebook,” said her dad.
Family tour
After the victory, Ronald Wong called Busken and asked if Isabelle could meet CEO Dan Busken.
“He seemed happily surprised, and invited my family to meet with him in Hyde Park for a photo opportunity. He surprised us with a behind-the-scenes tour of Busken Bakery.”
Isabelle, her sister, Makayla, 7, who participated in the 6-9 category, mom, and dad donned hairnets and took a 15-minute tour. They saw how Busken makes bread, cookies, cakes and donuts.
 Ronald Wong thanked Dan Busken and the Facebook viewers who named Isabelle’s cookie top treat.
Busken Bakery invited kids, ages 1-5, 6-9, and 10-12, to enter its contest at Tri-State area bakery locations. Each of the three age group winners were recognized in the Busken Bakery newsletter, and awarded a dozen cookies.
The designs were sprayed onto circular fondant appliques, using edible ink, similar to the way an inkjet printer works. The fondant was then applied to the cookies.
An anonymous Facebook voter requested a dozen cookies sporting Isabelle’s design, said Ronald Wong.
“Busken asked for our permission to sell the dozen cookies, and we agreed to the sale; important because Isabelle is the owner of the design,” he said.
“We are so proud of our daughters. We purchased two dozen cookies with Makayla’s design, and purchased two dozen cookies with Isabelle’s design to accompany the free dozen cookies that Isabelle was awarded.”
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Laura Rolf, Big Brothers Big Sisters community development director for Southeastern Indiana and Harrison, said making the trophies was fun for the “Bigs” and “Littles,” but served a larger purpose.