What started as a pie contest years ago with many beloved ladies that have now passed on and passed the torch, the dessert contest at the San Miguel Basin Fair continues to be a way West End communities enjoy kicking off fair week.
On July 12, bakers and ice cream makers flocked to the Norwood School’s all purpose-room to showcase their creations, along with those who just wanted to taste this year’s entries too.
Katie Alexander, who has organized and produced the dessert contest for decades, shared results on Monday, July 14, with the Forum. She said 71 people entered the contest this year.
The Forum congratulates all who walked away that afternoon with the trophies: the embroidered aprons the grand champions are presented with and the wooden spoons, crafted by Mary Fourney, the reserve champions take away.
For the pie category, in the professional division, Tammy Gillapsy took first place, grand champion, with cononut creme. In the youth, the Merrill kids, Kalibur and Kalese, won with cherry and strawberry. They were grand and reserve champions, respectively. In the single-crust division for pie, Tennessee Richardson won first for key lime pie, and Shannon Rayborn was second, reserve champion, for German chocolate. For double-crust, Sarah Franklin was first place with blueberry, and Karla Ruiz was second with apple.
For cakes, in the professional division, Donna Morris won first with an Italian lemon cake; she was also second with an Oreo bundt. In the youth, Daphne Richardson won first for lemon raspberry; she was also second with a tres leches. In the frosted cake category, Tennessee Richardson was first with strawberry shortbread, and Catherine “Cady” Metzger was second with “Quark” cake.
What’s Quark cake? Those at the dessert contest might have wondered. According to Metzger, “Quark” is a German cheese, a cross between cream cheese and yogurt.
“It’s a really summery recipe,” she told the Forum, regarding this particular cake, and one she has fond memories of, due to travel experiences and connections.
She first had the cake in New York, in a cafe, and later bought a book to recreate the recipe. She sources it from Kurt Gutenbrunner and the cookbook called “Neue Cuisine.” Making the Quark cake takes her back to the moment she first had it, in midst of museums, art and food. She agreed tasting that piece of cake in remote and rural Norwood can be almost like “traveling” again.
And, the win at the San Miguel Basin Fair meant a lot to her.
“It was such a thrill to win and a great get-together with our community to indulge in sampling a bunch of great desserts,” she said.
Unfrosted first-place cake went to Addison Davis with a strawberry lemonade cake.
For ice creams, Melissa Richardson won first place in the professional division with an Earl Grey tea ice cream. For youth, Krizzy Merrill was first with mint chocolate chip; Layton Harrigan was second with another version of mint chocolate chip. For the flavored ice creams, Amy Snyder was first with chocolate pistachio, and Laurel Robinson was second with toasted almond chocolate.
For cookies, Melissa Richardson won the professional category with pecan sandies. Youth first place was Ethan and Zoe Lukaszewski with chocolate chip. Second place was Sylvie Buckner with chocolate peanut butter oatmeal. In the drop cookie category, Karla Guttierrez was first with snickerdoodle cookies; Elisha Hemphill was second with banana nut. And, for the filled-rolled cookies, Amy Snyder was first with chocolate raspberry cookies; second was Priscilla Richardson with beer empanadas.
Snyder told the Forum her wins meant a lot to her. She’s always had a passion for baking and cooking.
“I cannot tell you how happy and thankful I was,” she said of her moment receiving grand champion aprons.
For no-bake cookies, it was Paige Franklin first with traditional cookies, and Kaitlyn Spor was second with chocolate oatmeal.
First place cheesecake went to Joey Zikor and his New York cheesecake. Priscilla Richardson was second with a churro cheesecake. Maria Camacho had the youth division winning cheesecake.
Finally, for the miscellaneous category, Linda Crum won first place with banana bread; Bernice White was second with her mints, tying Jodi Denny with banana pudding.
