The verdict was split as to whether it was the funfetti cookies that tasted the best or the strawberry cake cookies.

Fortunately, officers from the Vicksburg Police Department did not have to make a choice, since they would get to take back dozens of each to their station.

Participants’ palates in the “Baking Boot Camp for Kids” cooking camp may have been divided, but not on their objective of baking cookies and making thank you cards for the local law enforcement to show their appreciation.

“We made them to show how much we love them,” Laney Schrader said.

“They have come to our school to tell how they can help us,” she said.

Along with the baked goods, Laney was also proud of the card she had made the Vicksburg Police Officers.

“I wrote out the words Police Officer and wrote a Bible verse,” she said.

Laney was one of 17 children who participated in the cooking workshop, which was held this week at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center.

Children ages 8 through 12 not only made cookies for the police officers, but were also introduced to bread baking, culinary skills, and on Friday a cupcake decorating competition was going to be held, Margie Heltzel said.

Heltzel, who is the lead teacher at Redwood Elementary School, led the weeklong cooking class.

Kelie Brown, who was also a young participant in the cooking class, said she was grateful for police officers because they had helped her family.

“My grandmother got robbed and the police came to check on her,” Kelie said.

Morgan Jones said her mother’s home had also been robbed and the police helped them out too.

After presenting the officers with the cookies and cupcakes, the children lined up to go outside to have their picture taken with the officers, and the Vicksburg Police Department’s bomb-sniffing dog, Thor.

While waiting to go outside for the picture, one young participant was over heard telling a friend she did not think this would really happen (that the officers would really come), but felt special they had come to visit them.

“Now, they are our friends,” she said.