The smell of delicious, warm fall flavors could be enjoyed throughout the halls of Manchester Township Middle School this afternoon as Ms. Toto's Family & Consumer Science Class competed in the first Chopped cooking competition of the 2023-24 school year!
Interested sixth, seventh and eighth grade students set out to make culinary creations using a mystery box full of fun and sweet flavors. The mystery ingredient box revealed pumpkin, cinnamon, caramel, and chocolate chips as the four ingredients that students must use to create their desserts. They were then provided with a table of additional ingredients that they could use to develop and enhance their desserts.
Students were paired with amazing teachers and administrators who volunteered their time to break off with the students into teams for the competition. The kitchen was buzzing as staff supported students in this fall-focused and friendly culinary competition.
The judges included Manchester Times Editor Bob Vossler, Superintendent John Berenato, BOE President Gayle Mount, and teacher Sandy Maloney who had the task of enjoying and then determining who would win and who would be chopped.
Team Ghostly Gang created a dessert inspired by the ghost from the Ghostbuster's movie featuring pumpkin moose; Team Pumpkin Spiders creatively presented chocolate and caramel spiders in a cinnamon crust; Team Pumpkin Picker Squad presented pancakes featuring cinnamon, pudding and crushed oreos; there also was Team Cinnamon Twists and Team Purple Monsters featuring pumpkin pies. The judges had a tough decision and after lots of sugar and great deliberation, the winner was Team Pumpkin Picker and their pumpkin pancakes!
