Best Brownie Ever Challenge at Friendship Village

The competition was fierce and the fragrance divine as ten residents of Friendship Village competed in the first Best Brownie Ever Challenge. "There's not much in life as perfect as great chocolate and this was a competition to determine the very best of the best," said Jeanette Magdaleno, lifelong learning and volunteer coordinator at Friendship Village.

Ranking the finished products was a tough job, but fortunately, the panel of judges was up to the tasty challenge. The volunteers judges included resident Bill Bickford who is the retired baker/owner of Clyde's Delicious Donuts, Debi Coletta, demo lead at Mariano's in Hoffman Estates, and students from Harper College culinary program.

Friendship Village's dining services department prepared and served up its own recipe of brownies for the audience of the competition to share.

Winners of the Best Brownie Ever Challenge were residents Maryaldene Busch, Helen Moffett and the husband and wife team of Audrey and Vince Becker, each of whom received gift cards to Mariano's and chocolate candies. All of the competitors received chef's hats and wire whisks.

"A lot of our residents love to cook and bake but with our wonderful dining program at Friendship Village, are at risk of getting rusty. This was a fun opportunity for them to pull out their mixers and favorite recipes and create some great treats," said Jeannette.

Friendship Village is a leading Chicago-area retirement community offering a complete continuum of care including independent living garden homes and apartment homes, as well as assisted living, memory support, skilled care, and short- and long-term rehabilitation services. For more than 35 years, Friendship Village has been providing Chicago area seniors with exceptional retirement living options. For additional information visit www.FriendshipVillage.org