Bake-off 2009

*Picture from Williams-Sonoma

Each year, my sister-in-law and I engage in what has become an annual tradition - a bake-off. It began with more participation by my husband and my other sister-in-law and mother-in-law, but it has since dwindled. My SIL and I are keeping it alive, though. Competition aside, it is a fun way to get a couple desserts made for the holiday. We must choose something we've never made before, so it's also fun trying new things. Here are last year's results.

This year, A made this Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie. It sounds fancy, but let's be honest: It's just a fancy way of saying "chocolate pudding pie with raspberries on top". And since we won a couple years ago with a chocolate pudding pie, I conceded the prize under protest. That said, it was a good dessert. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. The big boy definitely loved it.

I went with a Pumpkin Cheesecake. This cheesecake would've been awesome and absolutely would've won, but I overcooked it by about 10 minutes. I just kept opening the oven, saying "Is it done yet? Is it done yet?" I just couldn't tell when the filling was set, and I ended up waiting just a few minutes too long. So although the filling was super yummy, the crust had a slightly charred taste, which gave A's pudding the edge. I will definitely make this cheesecake again, though. Perhaps I'll try it again - and get it right this time - for Christmas.

*Picture from Epicurious