Caramel Cheesecake Topped Brownies – Best Blogger Brownie/Bar Recipe Winner! |Cooking With Amanda

Are you ready for a sweet treat this weekend? I am ready to devour this decadent Best Blogger Brownie/Bar Recipe contest winner!

Congratulations to Elizabeth LaBau of SugarHero on her award-winning Caramel Cheesecake-Topped Brownies!

Keep reading…

Elizabeth created the ultimate brownie and bar hybrid. The bottom is a perfect chocolate-pecan brownie. It is then topped with a caramel-pecan cheesecake layer. Finally, the crowning glory is a layer of shiny chocolate ganache that is simply irresistible.

Follow this link for the recipe –>http://ift.tt/M3LWDj

What made you decide to enter the BetterRecipes.com "Best Blogger Ever" contest?

A fellow blogger recommended the contest to me months ago, but somehow none of the themes ever worked with the content I had on my blog. Brownies & Bars was the first contest I entered–boy, do I have plenty of brownie and bar recipes on my site–and I was lucky enough to win!

How did you come up with your winning recipe?

I originally made the cheesecake layer as a cheesecake dip, to go along with crackers, fruit, etc. As I was eating it by the spoonful, I realized that it was so good, it needed to be featured in another dessert, so I decided to pair it with lots of chocolate! Adding it to brownies was a no-brainer–caramel, cheesecake, and brownies all go perfectly together.

Do you have any recipe development or photography tips to share with our readers?

As far as recipe development, remember that other people are going to be following your recipes, and will be sad (or angry) if their food doesn't turn out. So try to be as precise as possible–note all temperatures, cooking times, beating times, and any other quantifiable information that people will need to get their product to turn out like yours. After you've made your recipe successfully and written it up, test it again to make sure you get the same results. I think that testing several times is valuable practice and can help you catch errors or typos you would miss otherwise.

As far as photography, this is the #1 tip that everyone gives, but that is only because it is so true: use natural light! It makes a huge difference in the final picture. Along those same lines, get to know the white balance settings on your camera, and use them to your advantage so that you don't end up with pictures that are too yellow or too blue. And finally, props are fun, and can add a lot to the shot, but don't let the props overwhelm the food–remember that at the end of the day, the food is the star, and if the food doesn't look great and isn't highlighted in the picture, all the cute napkins in the world won't save it.

Would you encourage other bloggers to enter recipe contests?

Absolutely! For contests like the "Best Blog Ever" contest, it's a great way to re-purpose your old content, get new readers, and maybe win some money! Other contests that might require original content can be great for sparking creativity and inspiring you to think outside the box.

When did you start the blog?

I started SugarHero in the late fall of 2011, so I recently celebrated 2 years! Prior to that, I had a different dessert blog that I posted on sporadically, but it's really only been the past 2 years that I've blogged with any consistency.

Why did you start writing a food blog? What motivates you to write and create new recipes for your audience?

Originally, I started my first food blog because I was working as a pastry chef and wanted a place to share the new desserts I was making at the restaurant. I was also reading a lot of food blogs, and wanted to join the ranks of the people who were so inspiring to me! Once I started blogging, I grew to love the support and friendship of the food blogging community.

I would say I'm motivated by two things: my readers, and my own desire to continue growing as a blogger. I get so much great feedback from people who read and who have tried my recipes, and it is so rewarding to hear people say that they loved my cookie recipe, or made one of my cake recipes for a special birthday or holiday! The second thing is that I always want to keep improving and to do better than I've done in the past. Better, more creative recipes and better, more beautiful photographs. When I look through my blog I see how far I've come from the beginning, but also how much I can still improve–and that keeps me motivated!

Do you focus on a particular angle or subject matter?

As the name might suggest, SugarHero is all about dessert! Although I eat a wide variety of food in my real life, I get so much joy out of making and photographing sweets, it's all I want to blog about! My desserts run the gamut, but in general i'm pro-butter, anti-cake mix, and love colorful, playful, modern sweets that are just a little fancy.

Do you have any tips for readers interested in starting their own blog?

Make sure your blog reflects your personality! There are so many food blogs out there–which is great–but it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. The blogs that I love and find myself reading consistently are all very different in tone and appearance, but they all have a strong sense of who the author is. You'll be most motivated to write, and to write honestly, if you feel that your blog is truly an extension of yourself. There's not one "right" way to have a food blog, so don't worry about what other people are doing. Post recipes and pictures that you love, and you'll find that to be the most rewarding!