I won !

And the winner is... Holly Viola’s Malibu Rum Cake is the winner of the first monthly recipe contest staged by Sarah K’s Gourmet in Destin. “My mom would make it every Christmas but when I tried it several years ago, the only rum in the house was Malibu,” Viola said in an interview. “I was afraid it wouldn’t be good, but I have to say... it’s better than mom’s.”

After being voted best locally owned restaurant by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine, Chef Sarah K. Schreifer wanted to reach out to the community that has supported her.

“My customers are like family, and I wanted to give them the chance to be a part of Sarah K’s Gourmet by having their family recipes on the menu,” Schreifer said in an interview. Customers and members of the community now have that opportunity through the Sarah K’s Recipe Club, a monthly contest held to find the best simple and family friendly recipes from local kitchens. Each month has a different theme based on seasonal items or holidays, with January’s theme being “Dessert for Two.”

Recipes are submitted for review and narrowed down to the top 10 for final judging. Then, contestants make their recipe and bring it in for tasting. The first recipe contest was held Jan. 27 and 10 recipes were submitted. The judges were chef Carolina Cox, executive director for the Cultural Arts Association of Walton County; Dominic Damiano, from Crane Lord & Sons; and Bill Davis, owner of Sound & Cinema — all seasoned veterans of culinary arts and Kitchenique cooking instructors. Second place went to Teresa McKenna’s Strawberry Crepes, and there was a tie for third between Debbi Morris’ Bread Pudding and Annette Roberson’s Chocolate Lava Cake. The audience got involved with the judging as they tasted each of the submissions while sipping on champagne and listening to the judges’ critiques. “I was so surprised at how many of my friends and neighbors came to cheer me on,” said Jill Anne, who submitted her cashew meringue cookies. “And I really loved being able to taste the other desserts and see how I measured up to my competition.” The judges will rotate each month and include last month’s winner, local chefs, Sarah K’s customers and members of the Emerald Coast Community.

“Holly’s recipe was judged on taste, ease of recipe and appearance,” Schreifer said, “and she scored the highest in these categories.” Her cake will be on Sarah K’s menu for the month of February. “I’m so thrilled with the first-place finish and have already submitted my recipe for next month,” Viola said. A Destin real estate agent working with Coldwell Banker JME Realty, Viola is originally from Maryland. She, her husband, Ken, and sons, Tanner and Logan, moved to Destin to escape the cold of the north. “One night while visiting family in Pennsylvania, during the worst snowstorm of the year, Ken said he couldn’t take the cold anymore and drove to Destin on the advice of a friend,” Viola said. “He fell in love with the place and so did I. The schools are great, and you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful city. My sons, Tanner and Logan, love it here too. Although they miss real snowmen.”

Viola’s favorite foods to make are desserts, and this was the first contest she has ever entered. “My brother, Will, is a chef in Baltimore. When he was taking pastry classes, he made me the best white chocolate truffle birthday cake. I was hooked on desserts ever since.” Even the best of cooks can have disasters in the kitchen. “I’ve had many,” Viola said. “Once the kitchen caught on fire, but that’s a different story. As far as food not turning out, I would have to say it’s a regular occurrence.”

Sarah K’s monthly recipe contest winners receive a $25 gift certificate, an invitation to be a guest judge at the next contest and their recipe will be featured on the Sarah K’s menu the following month. A grand prize will be awarded to the most popular recipe at the end of the year and the most popular recipe will hold a permanent spot on the Sarah K’s Gourmet menu for all of 2008.

Holly’s Malibu Rum Cake

1 cup chopped pecans (18 1/2 oz.)

1 package yellow cake mix 1 (3 3/4 oz.)

1 package instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup Malibu rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all ingredients together and pour over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert on serving plate. Prick a lot of holes in the top. Drizzle smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until all glaze is used. Decorate with powdered sugar. The cake is so moist, and the longer it sits around, the better tastes. Serve warm or cold.

Glaze

1/4 lb. butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Malibu rum

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.