Creative Confections: Alums battle it out in the kitchen while Crusaders head to Championship

By Christi Mays

In four ultimate baking battles each week leading up to the Cru football championship game, alumni rolled up their sleeves and whipped up their most creative culinary confections, vying for a chance to be named “Playoff-Bake Off Champion.”

While the Cru was gearing up for its first-round championship win against Trinity University Nov. 20, guest judges were lining up to tackle some of the best cookies in Central Texas, with the winning wafer going to Brenda Hoe­lscher ’96. The “Cookie Champion” recipe she used was one her children had won with at the Bell County Youth Fair, and it paid off with the win!

On the second match-up, as the Cru took on Birmingham-Southern College on Nov. 27, bakers battled for the title of “Breakfast Champion,” with the win­ning whisk going to Rose Morales ’00 with her secret banana bread recipe.

“I have made many banana breads to raise money for going on mission trips or for doing a toy drive,” she said as the reason for not sharing the prize-win­ning recipe. “Everyone loves my banana bread and greatly supports the cause. It brings me great joy to be able to bake for others and hear that it is one of the best they have eaten!”

In round three on Dec. 4, as Crusaders were creaming Linfield University on the field, 2020 graduate Charlotte Miller’s homemade banana pudding pie was racking up the most points for the W and title of “Pie Champion.”

Dec. 11 was a bye week for the Playoff-Bake Off (since UMHB was playing Wisconsin-Whitewater in Wisconsin). With that easy win for the Crusaders, the fourth and final Playoff-Bake Off round was set for the championship game Dec. 17 during the watch party. While UMHB fans gathered to watch the Cru take the cake on the field, Maegan Loya ’15 was scoring points with the judges to be named “Cake Champion” for her “Cake for the Cru.”

“We could not be prouder of our alumni for showing up for our Play­off-Bake Off each week,” said Jeff Sutton, director of alumni engagement. “All of the participation from our alums just made winning the national champion­ship game that much sweeter!”