There’s a new chocolate doughnut in the display case at the Cakery Café LLC, in Dolgeville, and it was designed by a fifth-grader at Herkimer Elementary School.
The new doughnut is the result of a persuasive writing assignment for Barbara Macri’s fifth-grade class. When looking for a way to help her students connect with the assignment, she found the idea for a contest to present an idea for a new doughnut and convince a local bakery to make it and sell the product to customers for a limited time.
Macri wasn’t sure if a local bakery would be willing to judge the entries and make and offer the winning entry for a week.
“I reached out to the Cakery Café about the project and asked would they be interested. and they said ‘Absolutely,’” she said.
The next step was up to the students in her 15-member class. They had to write a description of their idea.
“They had to be specific and persuade the bakery to make their doughnut,” said Macri. “They had to describe what it would taste like and smell like and what it looks like. I told them they had to try to be realistic.”
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The students also drew or used online tools to show what their proposal would look like.
They spent a week on their entries, and last Saturday Macri delivered the proposals to the Cakery.
The owners chose Alaina Hutchinson’s entry, the “Chocolate Fudge Delight Adventure,” and the Cakery Café began offering it March 17 at the 12 South Main St. shop and will continue through March 27. Alaina’s winning proposal is posted on the display case at the shop and on the Cakery’s Facebook page.
“The winning doughnut has been a big hit!” Marcia Rider, one of the owners, said in an email. “Alaina’s idea was a chocolate doughnut with hot fudge filling, chocolate ganache glaze on top with chocolate sprinkles and brownie bits, and a dollop of whipped cream. Our customers have loved it!”
Alaina said in her description, “The ganache is placed carefully so the fresh brownie bits and chocolate sprinkles stay where they are.” Inside there is “hot fudge ready to show your taste buds what delicious tastes like,” she wrote. “And it’s all topped with a dollop of whipped cream.”
She added, “I designed it for people like me that cannot get enough chocolate.”
“We were excited to read the ideas that the students came up with and see their doughnut drawings,” Rider said. “When Barbara Macri asked us to participate, we knew it would add an extra level of excitement for the kids to know their doughnuts would compete in a real contest and the winning doughnut would be recreated. It was great to be able to help with something fun for the kids during these difficult times.”
She added: “It was difficult to pick a winner. All of the ideas were so great and their persuasive writing skills were pretty impressive.”
Donna Thompson is the government and business reporter for the Times Telegram. For unlimited access to her stories, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email her at [email protected].
