May 19—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Richland Township residents Dave Jones and Mona D’Ambrosia are traveling to Cookie College this weekend.
The event, organized by the Wedding Cookie Table Community, is expected to draw approximately 1,200 people Sunday afternoon to the Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe in Washington County.
Participants will learn recipes, admire the skills of their fellow cookie enthusiasts, raise funds to benefit the Monongahela Area Historical Society and – of course – taste many of the delicious desserts.
Jones will teach a class on how to make springerles, an intricate raised cookie he discovered when his military career took him to Germany.
He will have participants use Play-Doh to simulate the process of forming “cookies” into shapes. They will then decorate real cookies he made in advance.
“One of my favorite things is seeing the joy on people’s faces as they learn these new techniques and create something beautiful with their own hands,” said Jones, who also demonstrated at last year’s Cookie College. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of an experience and share my love of baking and demonstrating cookies to others.
“People come in and say, ‘I could never do that,’ and then they say, ‘Yes, I can.’ It’s phenomenal.”
D’Ambrosia, owner of Mona’s Unique Boutique, will set up a 36-foot-long decorative cookie table that has been common at weddings in Western Pennsylvania for many years.
Jones described D’Ambrosia’s display at the 2023 show as “something you could have done at Buckingham Palace. It was so beautiful.”
Bakers will contribute 120 types of cookies. D’Ambrosia will use some of them to set up his table, which will take about six hours to set up on the Saturday before the show.
“I think I probably go a little crazy at my tables compared to what most people do,” said D’Ambrosia, who recently featured a cookie table design on NBC’s “Today” show. “That’s just my style. But there’s no right or wrong way to decorate a cookie table. It really makes you feel proud to see people enjoying what you do.”
D’Ambrosia and Jones actively participate in the Wedding Cookie Table Community group, which encourages members, from beginners to experts, to explore baking.
“It’s a very positive group,” D’Ambrosia said. “In fact, there is no intolerance. If someone expresses something that is not appropriate, condemning someone, he will leave.”
Both D’Ambrosia and Jones attribute their interest in baking to their mothers.
“I remember as a child when (my mother) would spend hours in the kitchen baking cookies, not just for our family, but for others in the community,” Jones said.
“Maybe they suffered a loss in the family or there was a fire.
“She would bake these cookies quietly and then show up at their house and say, ‘Here, this is for you.’
“As a kid, I got to tag along with her, which was really cool.
“I was able to witness that. And these people said, ‘You didn’t have to do that.’ and she said, ‘You’re right, I didn’t need to, I wanted to.’
“It taught me that cooking isn’t just about creating delicious treats. It’s about spreading joy, love and kindness through something as simple as a cookie.”
D’Ambrosia said she learned from her mother that cooking is “a rite of passage.”
“You pass it on to other people just to share the love,” she said.
