Michelle Obama And Ann Romney Face Off In Cookie Battle

It looks like the presidential race is heating up once again.

No, we're not talking about the Supreme Court's ruling on health care. We're talking about something much more controversial, much more decisive.

We're talking about cookies.

Politics are making their way into the kitchen again with Family Circle's quadrennial presidential bake-off. From now until August 15, the magazine is asking its readers to preheat their ovens and test out Michelle Obama and Ann Romney's cookie recipes, so they can vote for a winner.  

But it seems that Family Circle will be declaring more than just a bake-off winner. Four out of the five contest winners have ascended to first lady status shortly after the victory, so the winning cookie recipes tend to make their way into the White House kitchen. The only exception comes with Cindy McCain, but her recipe was allegedly stolen from Hershey's website, anyway.

Perhaps this is the reason why people have been analyzing the political undertones of Obama's White and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies and Romney's M&M's Cookies recipes. The Week suggests that Obama's cookies hint at her desires for racial harmony, while Jezebel believes that some might associate the gourmet chunks of chocolate with "smacks of elitism." Jezebel also hypothesizes that Romney's cookies are "a plug for corporate America," since they call for the use of M&M's. However, one thing happens to be absent from both women's recipes — nutrition.

So, as you bring out the mixing bowls and preheat the oven, make sure to proceed with caution. With so much on the line, you don't want your choice for best cookie to be half-baked.