Week Two of KCOW’s Cooking Wars contest was a sweet sensation for our judges.

Dawn Butcher’s Holiday Pear Cheesecake took the crown (and a $25 Homestead Diner gift certificate) in a tightly-matched contest.

This week, competitors had to include pears, marshmallows, ginger and cheese  in their recipe. Most contestants used cream cheese in their preparation of decadent desserts.

Dawn now has a spot reserved in our final showdown for a $250 Grocery Kart shopping spree.  Other Cooking Wars sponsors include Frosted, Sam and Louies, and the 1910 Secret Coffeehouse.

The four key ingredients for next week’s challenge will be announced this Friday between 9:00 and 10:00am on KCOW.