This year's baking with wine contest was called " Perfect Pear-ings...Wine & Pear Pound Cake."  Here are the winning recipes:

1St PLACE  Red Anjou Pear and Chardonnay Pound Cake   -  Amy F. Sedlar, Wauwatosa

1/2 c Butter

3/4 c Sugar

3 large eggs

1/3 c unsweetened Anjou pear puree

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 c Door Peninsula Chardonnay

1 1/4 c All purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp Salt

Pear cut into slices for the top of the pound cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8x4 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, pear puree, wine and vanilla.  Combine flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture until blended.

Transfer to loaf pan.  Cut thin slices from pear and place on top of pound cake.  Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze - 1/4 c Sugar;  1/8 c Butter;  1/8 c Wine

Stir ingredients in saucepan.  Cook mixture over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, 3-5 minutes.  Spoon glaze over pound cake while cake is still warm.

2nd Place - Perfect Pear Pound Cake  -  Barb Strahler, Reedsburg

1 c + 2 Tbs Flour

2/3 c Sugar

1/5 tsp Baking Powder

3 Eggs

1/3 c Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Cardamom

3-4 Diced Canned Pears, floured

1/3 c Wollersheim River Gold wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease loaf pan.

Mix together eggs, sugar, flavorings, wine and cream.  Then add dry ingredients.

Fold in pears and pour into pan.  Bake approximately 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Poke holes. Mix 1 cup Powdered Sugar and 3.5 Tbs wine and pour over the top.  Chill and enjoy!

3rd Place - Spiced Wine and Roasted Pear Pound Cake  -  Gerry Cofta, Milwaukee

3 c unbleached all-purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 c Door Peninsula Winery Hallowine (Apple wine with cinnamon & nutmeg)

3 Tbs Sour Cream

2 C Sugar

3/4 c unsalted Butter, melted

1/4 c Canola Oil

5 cold Eggs

2 Tbs Vanilla Extract

Roasted Pears, see recipe below.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and parchment line two loaf pans; set aside.  In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt.  Sift mixture; set aside.  Stir together Hallowine and sour cream; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, melted butter and oil with mixer until well combined.  Add eggs - one at a time, beating well after each one.  Bean in Vanilla.  Beat on medium 3-5 minutes or until thicker and lighter in color.  Add one-third flour mixture; beat on Low until just combined, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.  Add half the wine mixture; beat until just combined.  Repeat with one-third flour mixture, the remaining wine mixture and remaining flour mixture.  Fold in diced roasted pears.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes.  Turn out on rack; cool completely.  Drizzle with Hallowine glaze and allow to set.

Roasted Pears: 1/3 c Door Peninsula Winery Hallowine; 1/3 c Dark Brown Sugar; 3 Tbs unsalted Butter; 3 Anjou Pears, peeled, halved, cored

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange pears cut side up in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Whisk Hallowine and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.  Whisk in butter.  Pour sauce over pears.  Bake until pears are crisp-tender and beginning to brown, basting occasionally with juices, about 35 minutes.  Cool and dice.

Hallowine Glaze: In a small bowl, combine 1c Powdered Sugar and t Tbs Hallowine.  Stir in additional wine, 1 tsp at a time, to reach drizzling consistency.

Yield: 2 pound cakes