Winners announced in Holiday Best baking contest

The task wasn't easy, but a panel of judges sampled 30 different baked goods Saturday morning and declared winners in the Southeast Missourian's Holiday Best baking contest.

Winners were named in four categories, and more than 70 recipes were entered. Grand-prize winners were Wes Tripp of Cape Girardeau, who earned top honors in both the candies and cookies categories; Carol Bierschwal of Cape Girardeau, who won for her pumpkin praline layer cake in the cakes and breads category and Peggy Barks of Scott City, who entered a recipe in the sugar-free category.

Recipes for all entries are inside this section. Semifinalists are denoted by a star.

The judges selected 10 semifinalists in each category, except the sugar-free category, which only had three entries, and sampled those before choosing a winner. Several honorable mentions also were awarded.

Judges were food columnists Tom Harte and Susan McClanahan; Jerri and John Wyman, owners of N'Orleans and Bella Italia restaurants; Frances Toole, a former cook at Central High School; and Gabe Hartwig, design & graphics editor at the Southeast Missourian.

"We had a good assortment in each category," Harte said.

The judges chose winners based on tastes and textures, though some wanted to make some adaptations based on personal preferences, like less nut or almond flavoring.

Some of Jerri Wyman's favorite recipes were those that didn't skimp on quality. "If you use the best ingredients, you can taste the difference," she said.

WINNERS

Candy: Cappuccino Caramels

Cake: Pumpkin Praline Layer Cake

Cookies: Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Sugar-free: Sugar Free Fruit Trifle

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cookies

Ring-a-round a cookie, Shelley Childs of Jackson

Bon Bon cookies, Tracey Tripp of Cape Girardeau

Candies

Meja Candy, Debbie Feiner of Jackson

White Christmas Fudge, Tim Ward of Cape Girardeau

Cakes & Breads

Mincemeat Bread, Dorothy Gill of Cape Girardeau

Apple Nut Coffee Ring, Cynthia French of Oran