Food writer hopes to continue family's winning tradition with blue ribbon brownies

I won a bike when I was 9 years old. It was easily the highlight of my elementary school career - and the last time I won anything.

My grandmother, Helen Schminke, won everything.

Cooking contests. Sweepstakes. Grocery store promotions. You name it, Grandma entered it - and won.

“Just imagine, with the Internet, what she could have won today,” my dad, Kevin Schminke, said.

Earlier this summer, I told my dad I was thinking about entering one of the Iowa State Fair food competitions. As someone who has judged cooking events, I thought it would be fun to be on the other end of things. At the very least, it would be a new angle for a state fair food story.

“Your grandma entered a cooking contest once,” Dad told me. “She won.”

Of course she did.

Grandma's winning recipe was a chocolate and cherry brownie. My dad couldn't recall what kind of cherries she used - fresh, Maraschino or cherry pie filling. My aunts couldn't solve the mystery, either, so I set out to create my own cherry brownie recipe in honor of grandma.

Last month, I brought three samples of fudge brownies to the newsroom - A, B and C. Each sample used a different type of cherry. My colleagues were asked to vote for their favorite, as well as offer any feedback on the recipe.

“Max approves!”

“Other Max approves!”

“Too dry.”

“Couldn't taste the cherries.”

“Very cherry.”

“Yummy - closest to those mom made.”

“If you must eat one brownie this year, eat this.”

“I couldn't taste the cherries.”

“Choose this one!”

In the end, we had a tie between the fresh cherry brownies and the cherry pie filling. Political reporter James Lynch demanded a runoff vote, but baking in the hottest summer in Iowa history isn't ideal, so I combined fresh sweet cherries and canned cherries for my final recipe.

The newsroom approved.

On Friday, I will enter my Chocolate Cherry Brownies in the “Gear Up for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship” at the Iowa State Fair. Entries must feature any Ghirardelli premium baking product. Judges will choose winners based on appearance, taste, creativity and ease of preparation.

I don't know if my brownies will win, but I do know they liven up a Monday morning meeting. If you are at the state fair Friday, swing by the judging at noon to say hi.

Maybe I'll give you a brownie.

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CHOCOLATE CHERRY BROWNIES

12 tablespoons salted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

2/3 cup Ghirardelli Chocolate Baking Unsweetened Cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

1 cup flour

10 Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk 32% Cacao Creamy Devotion squares, chopped

10 Ghirardelli Dark 60% Cacao squares, chopped

1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and quartered

8 ounces cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13 baking pan with parchment.

Melt butter over medium high heat, Add sugar and vanilla. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Whisk ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl and whisk until combined. Add flour. Mix together.

Using a wooden spoon, add chopped chocolate and stir. Add fresh cherries and pie filling, stirring to combine.

Pour batter into the pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before lifting parchment and placing brownies on a wire rack to cool completely.