So, you ask, what did your friends at the RBMSCL do on Wednesday? Well, we helped some researchers and we added some new materials to our collections and we encoded a few finding aids.
And then there was this.
Yes, on Wednesday afternoon, Team Smith and Team Perkins matched baking skills in the First Annual All-RBMSCL Bake-Off.
Our three esteemed judges sampled 37 desserts from four categories (cakes, pies, cookies and bars, and “other”) and assigned scores for presentation, taste, and creativity.
They were a little overwhelmed.
While the scores were being totaled, we got down to some serious eating (note our serious eating faces).
Our Winners:
- Pies Category: Patrick Stawski, Human Rights Archivist
- Cakes Category: Mary Samouelian, Doris Duke Collection Archivist
- Cookies and Bars Category: Elizabeth Dunn, Research Services Librarian
- “Other” Category: Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, Senior Processing Archivist (for tiramisu!)
Elizabeth Dunn won “Best in Show” for her Heart-Shaped Dark Chocolate Brownies.
Although Team Smith won the categories 3 to 1, Team Perkins scored the higher average of points per entry. We’re calling it a draw. For now, the trophy—the Golden Recipe Box—will reside at Perkins in the RBMSCL’s reading room. Comparisons to the Stanley Cup are, we think, inevitable:
We haven’t tried drinking champagne out of it, though.
For more Bake-Off photos, visit the “2011 RBMSCL Bake-Off” set on our Flickr photostream.