For 11-year-old baker, Edible Book Festival is a piece of cake

Feb. 25—NORTH MANKATO — If you took a bite of 11-year-old Maren Petersen's confetti and buttercream frosting cake, you'd be on the lookout for a super sour lemon surprise, a glittering gold coin, a chewy lightning bolt and a fruity Tootsie Roll chew.

That's because Petersen's cake, and entry for North Mankato Taylor Library's Eat Your Words Edible Book Festival, doubled as an "I Spy" puzzle.

Petersen listed those items and more for people to find as they took a slice of the dessert at Saturday's event, which encouraged participants to base a food on a book or author.

"We were talking about what we could do for a cake or something, so Dad said, 'What if we do 'I Spy?'" she said.

Petersen's hard work paid off.

She won not just the People's Choice award but the Child Prodigy award as well.

"It was very exciting. I'm glad that I was able to do that. I enjoy baking a lot," she said.

This year's contest had five categories, including People's Choice, Punniest, Most Edible, Best Library Staff and Child Prodigy.

There were about 20 entrants this year, said Jeremy Freeman, teen outreach librarian.

Other entrees included 11-year-old Miles Lenhoff's hat cake inspired by "Anne of Green Gables."

"I decided to create a hat so then I could have the braids coming out of it. Then I took a large cookie for the brim, and I put a cake on top of it and filled it with conversation hearts," he said.

There were also cupcakes that sorted visitors into their "Harry Potter" houses based on what color was on the inside when they bit into it and cupcakes lined up to look like the caterpillar from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Freeman said events like the Edible Book Festival bring people together.

"To just know that the library is not just about books, but it is a celebration of books as well, and people love to eat, so there's nothing wrong with that," he said.

Winners received prizes such as Barnes and Noble gift cards.