Wowza! Nancy (Fancy Flours' owner and contest sponsor) and I had a reaaaaaally tough time selecting the three finalists. The entries were consistently top-notch, so it came down to splitting some pretty fine hairs related to the number and mastery of techniques used. All I can say is: I'm grateful I don't have to select the grand prize winner!
That's where you Cookie Connection members fortunately come in! Between now and July 19 at 5pm CDT, you'll each have the opportunity to cast ONE vote for your favorite finalist in the poll at the end of this post. The vote tally will reveal in aggregate and will update real-time, but individual responses will not be visible to anyone. If you change your mind, you can also go back and change your vote at any time during the voting period, but still each person can only cast one vote. That being said, use that vote wisely - remember, $100 in prizes and a feature in a Fancy Flours' catalog (and/or on their site) are at stake!
Nancy and I sincerely hope that the larger cookie community will vote in this contest so that all finalists get the humongous visibility they deserve. So please share this post with your other cookie friends. But please also remind them that in order to vote, they must first join this site. (We don't want any frustrated wannabe voters out there either!)
Now . . . hold onto your seats for the big three-finalist reveal, presented in no particular order. Ta da!
And here they are in bigger form, again in no particular order. Look at them closely before casting your vote.
Mike @ Semi Sweet for Vintage Beach Vacation Cookies
Rebecca of The Cookie Architect for Adirondack Vintage Vacation
Mallory of ButterWinks for Ode to Florida
To see all of the fabulous entries (plus some images that were too late to be judged, but still merit close examination and appreciation 
), click here. And for a reminder of the criteria used to select finalists, click here.
Before you leave this post, don't forget to cast your vote in the poll directly below, and to give all of the finalists a big round of applause. 
OH EM GEE, WOW! 
