Melba's Swap Shop: More chocolate for chocolate droolers

DEAR MELBA: You printed Madeline Rowe's first-place winner, Death by Chocolate Cake, from the State Fair Chocolate Extravaganza contest that you and I judged. Here are the second- and third-place winning recipes. I hope you'll print them, too.

Some of your readers will surely be devotees of chocolate gravy with biscuits for breakfast. They might like to put them aside to enjoy second-place Nana's Chocklet Bacon, submitted by Vicky Meeh. You've heard about sweet and savory; this is both and yummy! Lay 12 slices of thick-sliced bacon on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon black pepper. Coat with 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and bake at 325 degrees 60 minutes.

While bacon is cooking, pour 1/2 package semisweet chocolate chips and 6 squares semisweet chocolate in double boiler. Set over hot water on low heat until melted. Remove from stove and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vanilla, stirring until smooth, and you guessed it, coat the bacon with the melted chocolate and refrigerate an hour. Enjoy.

Karen Moseley entered third-place, Chocolate Pavlovas. The meringue-based cups filled with chocolate ganache sprinkled with hazelnuts were melt-in-your mouth good.

MERINGUES

3 egg whites

Dash cream of tartar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place silicone half-sphere molds or custard cups on baking sheet. In large mixing bowl, place egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.