Let's...make...cheesecake...CHALLENGE!

SO...I love to cook.  I said cook. Not bake. You know why? Because you have to really pay attention when you bake...and I have the attention span of a flea.

Back when I first moved to NYC I hired a chef as a gift for friends who just got married. I found this fabulous chef, Melanie Underwood, through the Institute of Culinary Education. Mel was such a wonderful cook and the gift was such a hit, my husband later hired her for me as a gift! Teach your wife to cook...CLEVER!

Mel came into my kitchen and taught me to make chimmichurri skirt steak, the best spinach dip ever, roast chicken and tons of other dishes that I consistently make time and time again.

A few months ago Mel told me she was coming out with a cheesecake cook book: Making Artisan Cheesecake. I was not surprised at all...and couldn't have been happier to hear this!

I immediately got myself a copy and dove in there.

But remember....I don't bake.

So you're seeing the pretty pictures that Abby took for me along my first cheesecake journey here (and when I say first I'm referring to cheesecake from scratch...because I am a pro at the recipe you can follow off a Philadelphia cream cheese package).

I tried the mini cheesecakes from Mel's cookbook and boy did they ever BOMB!  Why did they bomb you ask?  Well because I thought I could take the measurements into my own hands and not fully pay attention to the recipe Melanie so clearly wrote in her book...WRONG SERI! WRONG! You need to follow EXACTLY! I used too much peanut butter and too many peanuts (because I loveeeee peanuts) and guess what? The cheesecakes were too salty! And dense. Didn't work.  BOMB!

I don't give up though. I see where I went wrong and I am going to try this again. But this time...I'm inviting you to a cheesecake challenge.

We will be giving away a prize pack with an Anolon non-stick spring form pan and a copy of Melanie's cheesecake cookbook to one lucky winner!

Here's how to play:

Tell us about your baking fail or your best baking success! OR show us! We would love to see what you have made.  Please submit photos to our Facebook page or Instagram by using the hashtag #LMPCheesecake.

Melanie will be the judge and will select her favorite story or photo as the winner which we will announce this Monday along with a photo of my 2nd attempt at making cheesecake....

The bake off has officially begun....

GOOD LUCK!