Tausha Saunders, associate general counsel at Temple Health–Chestnut Hill Hospital, had just wandered into the hospital auditorium to find out whether there were any cookies left after the institution’s only slightly non-nutritious Sweet 16 cookie bake-off.

Timing is everything.

Saunders arrived to learn that she had just been named the winner of the competition, modeled after college basketball’s definitive spring tournament. And make that for two years running.

Her black forest cookie — a delectable concoction featuring rich cocoa powder and lots of cherries — cut out 15 other cookies to claim the win last week.

How did she account for her victory? “I do a lot of baking,” she said. You bet she does.

Would she care to extend her winning streak? Saunders laughed. “I won’t do it again. It’s embarrassing,” she said. “I’ll just bake cookies for the hospital.”

Making it to the final four and pretty pleased about it was Richard Newell, president and CEO of the hospital, with his caramel sea salt pretzel cookie. “I was shocked,” he said, “but I knew I had a pretty good shot because my son was a big fan of them.”

A panel of judges drawn from the community, along with hospital staff and administration, valiantly sampled the sweet treats — and re-sampled them, just to make sure — in a grueling hour-and-a-half competition.

Overseeing the contest on behalf of the hospital’s employee engagement committee were Bryce Garrett, administrative secretary in nursing; Boris Tsypenyuk, director of performance excellence; and Carlie Kamnik, bariatric program coordinator and a nutritionist.

Dressed in a black and white striped jersey, Kamnik looked every bit the part of a basketball referee. Asked whether she saw any irony in a nutritionist presiding over a cutthroat cookie smackdown, she smiled and explained, simply, “Everything in moderation.”

Tausha Saunders’ Black Forest Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 6 ounces maraschino cherries, finely chopped and squeezed dry (about 1 cup before chopping)

• ½ cup white chocolate chips

Topping:

• 1/4 cup Jet-Puffed marshmallow crème, with drop of water to thin

• Maraschino cherry, cut in half

Directions:

1. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients – flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

2. Ensure butter is softened to room temperature. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy at medium speed.

3. Turn to low and add egg and vanilla until combined.

4. Slowly add dry ingredients with mixer on low until combined.

5. Add cherries and vanilla chips until evenly distributed.

6. Place dough in refrigerator for 2 hours or more, up to 24 hours.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With an ice cream scoop, place dough in balls on a baking sheet. I use a #40 ice cream scoop for size.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Place on a rack to cool.

9. Stir marshmallow fluff in a bowl with a drop of water until smooth. Drizzle on cookies in a cross pattern with a spoon held high above for thin lines. Add half cherry on top.

Richard Newell’s Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped pretzels

• 18-20 caramels cut in half (I like to use Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramels)

• Pretzel twists for pressing on cookies, about 36

• Extra sea salt for sprinkling on cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pretzels.

4. Form the cookie dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough. Place a caramel piece in the center of the dough ball, making sure the cookie dough completely covers the caramel. This will prevent the caramel from oozing out in the oven. Place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Gently press a pretzel twist on top of each cookie. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.

5. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.