30 First Place Ribbons at State Fair for Speakeasy Baking Co

It was quite the competition for The Speakeasy Baking Co who walked away with 30 first places ribbons at the State Fair for Canning and Baking.

In total, BrieAnna Arteaga-Marcel, owner of Speakeasy Baking Co, they had 30 first place finishes, 9 second places finishes and  8 third place cookies. There were 1,238 entries in total at the State Fair.

“We were absolutely shocked, in the best way! It was a rough week leading up to the competition. Our main oven broke, so we had to bake everything using our tiny countertop backup, which was running hot and unpredictable,” explained Arteaga-Marcel. “Out of our original 55 entries, we had to pull 7 because the oven just wasn’t cooperating. So when we saw the results, we cried actual tears of joy.”

She admitted she wasn’t sure how the cookies would bake, since regulation sizing is half the size of what we normally produce. There were just so many variables out of their control.

“In the end, it was a true family effort. Even our 9-year-old son Wally entered the youth division and walked away with a 3rd place ribbon for his own cookie creation. It was a wild ride, but it made the wins that much sweeter,” said Arteaga-Marcel.

As part of the competition, they took first place in the both categories at this year’s California State Fair Decorated Cookie Competition:

• California Summer — six hand-decorated cookies inspired by retro travel posters of your favorite Cali destinations. Each piece was created using wet-on-wet royal icing, 3D piped elements, and a palette of 13 custom colors. Nearly 14 hours of decorating brought this nostalgic set to life.
• 3D Cookie Entry: To pair with our theme, we created a fully edible In-N-Out meal display — complete with a sugar cookie burger, animal-style fries, ketchup cup, drink, and even a fondant “tray liner.” Everything from the buns to the spread was made with royal icing, fondant, white chocolate, and edible lace.

Although they planned 55 entries, they do have their favorites.

“Right now, I’m obsessed with our Bear Claw cookie. It’s made with almond flour so it’s a little lower in gluten, and the filling is that classic marzipan-almond flavor you find in a bakery-style bear claw. It’s rich, nutty, and nostalgic,” said Arteaga-Marcel. “My close second is our seasonal Christmas Crack, it’s inspired by that viral saltine toffee recipe and it’s just… phenomenal. Sweet, salty, buttery, and addictive.”

Her husbands favorite cookie is one not yet released called the Honey Bee — made with local honey, dried cranberries, tart cherries, pistachios, and dark chocolate, it’s like trail mix meets a luxury dessert.

As for the Wally, their 9-year-old, he is all about the Cookies ’n Cream Bark, we make our own cookies and cream candy bar in-house and fold it into the dough with crushed cookies and chocolate chips.

As for the competition, Artega-Marcel admits their most surprising flavor to win was the Pure Brownies.  She explained that after having success with a fudge brownie, her husband decided to take a risk and enter the “Pure Chocolate” division this year.

“The rules are strict, no flavor enhancers, no mix-ins, nothing but cocoa. That meant we couldn’t rely on things like espresso powder or vanilla, which we typically use to round out and boost the chocolate flavor in our regular brownie. We were nervous because pure cocoa can be a little bitter or flat if not handled just right. This recipe had to stand on the strength of the chocolate alone, so we spent a long time dialing in the texture and balance. Once we landed on the final version, we were thrilled with how it tasted, but seeing it actually place was such a shock and a huge moment for us. It’s proof that sometimes the simplest things, when done well, really shine,” she explained.

Wally showing off his 3rd place cookie

As for watching her son compete, she called it a proud parent moment.

“Proud doesn’t even cover it. Watching Wally enter the youth competition and walk away with a 3rd place ribbon was emotional,” explained Artega-Marcel. “He created his own cookie from scratch, flavor, mix-ins, everything. Seeing him take ownership like that, in a space I’ve worked so hard to build, was surreal. My heart could’ve burst. How nerve wrecking was it watching him compete? Way more stressful than entering myself! I had no control—I couldn’t fix, tweak, or polish anything. But I also didn’t need to. He owned it. I was just a proud (and very sweaty) mom on the sidelines cheering him on.”

The Speakeasy Baking Co is a cookie company that is inspired by nostalgia, flavors that take you somewhere. Meanwhile, their Main Street Churro cookie was born out of love for Disneyland churros while the guava white chocolate (still in the vault!) is inspired by the guava trees in my dad’s backyard. Even their Saturday Morning Cartoons cookie captures that magical cereal milk moment at the bottom of the bowl.

“Every cookie we make has a story, and our job is to bring that memory to life in dessert form. This is all rooted in something called olfactory memory, a phenomenon where smells and tastes can instantly evoke vivid memories and emotions,” explained Arteaga-Marcel.  “That’s because scent signals bypass the brain’s typical pathways and head straight to the areas responsible for memory and emotion. It’s why one bite can take you back to your grandma’s kitchen or a childhood trip to the boardwalk. Recipe development is no small feat, it takes us a minimum of six months to refine a flavor, sometimes longer.”

She added that right now, they have over 100 recipes in various stages of testing.

“I used to be a super taster (only 25% of the population has that ability), which made flavor building intuitive. But after getting COVID in 2024, I lost my sense of taste and smell. It returns in waves, but not as strong, so now, I rely heavily on feedback from friends, family, and my team,” she said. Adding that her husband has even jumped into development.

“His first recipe was our signature brownie, and it took him nearly a year to get the richness, texture, and that perfect chew just right. It went on to win first place in 2024, and second in 2025, so all those ‘flops’ were totally worth it” said Arteaga-Marcel.

The Speakeasy Baking Co is a cottage bakery, that focuses on nostalgic flavors that, at first glance, take you bake to childhood – a warm chocolate chip cookie, buttery smooth cupcake or a sweet caramel apple. Our desserts are brought to a whole new level with our attention to detail & displays on our vintage Italian truck, Delilah. – for more information, visit them at www.thespeakeasybakingco.com

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