Stupid Yummy Decadent Apple Caramel Cheesecake

Well, contrary to the implication of the title, I won out of about a dozen entries. Or at least I tied for first. We both had 36 points and from what I understand, I won presentation and Shauna won for taste. Not that it was rigged, but Shauna is Co-Chair for the Campaign and I am in charge of canvassers.

It was also a little uncomfortable in our leadership meeting where she and I, and then one other contestant were in the room when the results were announced. The other woman (and her recipe was GOOD) didn't place. I am just sorry I didn't get to be a judge. Immediately, someone suggested that we have another challenge, I guess it would be a bake off off. So I challenged her to an Iron Chef competition in the cafeteria. We will see...

Also, as confident as I was going in, I really didn't prepare well. I had all the preparation down leading to the event -- towels in the car to level the carrier, knives and extras to do any repairs on-site, focused look for the game face -- you know what I mean. What I didn't have down was my bake off touchdown dance. I just have never seen a white guy pull off a baking victory dance. Checking my favorite cookbooks, Alton Brown doesn't mention it a single time.

Also, it is a bit hard to talk about it with your friends at work. Sure, fantasy football stats roll off the tongue -- but talk about the challenges of using a non-circular spring form pan and they look at you like you just, well, hit on them. Sad. I mean really, if you can't talk to your closest male colleagues about whether or not mixing lemon and orange zest is better than using lemon zest alone -- who can you talk to?

Sometimes I just feel so alone.

Bake Off is On

I entered into a bake off. It was a good cause and as a member of the leadership team, I thought it might be a good example to participate. Really, I mean that my winning cheesecake would be a good example of the winning dessert -- but if it helps someone be motivated to do better, then, well that is just icing on the cake.

I am doing a cheesecake and I am cheating. Not because I bought it, brought in Bobby Flay or have somehow accidently tripped a competitor -- but my cheesecake recipe has a fatal flaw that I am covering up.

See, I used to bake them all the time and they were beautiful. That was until Nicole forced us to move out of our first apartment into a house. The oven at the apartment was perfect -- not that I have any idea why -- just that every cheesecake came out beautiful. In House 1.0, every cheesecake came out with a crack. In my first attempt at House 2.0, minor, but still cracked. Normally, I just go ahead and cut pieces and no one knows. This competition is all about presentation and taste. Taste I can win. Presentation, well, unless we are in a Grand Canyon themed event, not so much.

So, I am cheating and I added a pastry cream to fill in the gaps and then cover it with raspberries and white chocolate. The pastry creme is very oddly the EXACT same color as the cheesecake. Coincidence? Well, yes -- but still pretty cool.

If I don't post for a while, it means I was robbed. If you are a judge and reading this, bribes are negotiable.