When you think of cooking contests, one leaps to mind immediately: the Pillsbury Bake-Off, the grand-mommy of them all.

The Bake-Off started in 1949 and was an event that epitomized the spirit of post-World War II America as well as - if not better than - any other. Many women - entering the work force for the first time during the war and then displaced from their jobs by returning soldiers - were at that time heading back to the kitchen, and whether or not they felt ambivalent about the transition, the Bake-Off was a celebration of their born-again domesticity. There was a housing boom, the well-documented baby boom and a boom in the sales of the most "modern" appliances and laborsaving devices. At that first Bake-Off, the mini-kitchens used by contestants showcased the latest in innovation: the electric stove. As time went on, other appliances and food technology were featured - electric mixers, cake mixes, self-cleaning ovens, microwaves, refrigerated rolls and premade piecrusts. Over the years, the contest has been mined to track America's food preferences, including the growing interest in "quick and easy" cooking, in ethnic foods and once exotic ingredients, in healthy eating and in "gourmet" cookery. In recent years, rules were changed to allow for entries written in Spanish and for entries submitted online. The grand prize was increased in 1996 to $1 million, which happened to coincide with the first time a man won.

To celebrate the Contest of Contests, publisher John Wiley & Sons has just released the first in a planned series of "Best of the Bake-Off" books, this one on desserts. In it, you'll find the Orange Kiss-Me Cake, an early (1950) winner from Lily Wuebel of Redwood City, Calif.; the legendary "Tunnel of Fudge" cake created by Ella Rita Helfrich of Houston, Texas, in 1966; and the ever-popular French Silk Chocolate Pie (Betty Cooper, Kensington, Md., 1951). My own preferences are for these earlier recipes - like the two below - which don't rely on prepared foods and were contest-worthy simply because they included Pillsbury flour.

Other books planned in the series include a "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Winners," a "Cookies and Bars" collection and a revised "Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook" to be published in 2008.

If you are thinking of entering the Bake-Off, time is a wastin': The deadline is April 22. Rules and submission information are available online at www.pillsbury.com.

ROYAL MARBLE CHEESECAKE

For the crust and filling:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the crust:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

dash salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

For the filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 eggs

1 cup sour cream

For garnish (optional):

fresh raspberries sprinkled with sugar

melted chocolate (about 2 ounces)

Center a rack in the middle of the oven, and place another rack below it. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, in a small saucepan set over low heat or in a microwave set on high for 1 minute (if not melted, continue microwaving at 10-second intervals, checking after each interval).

Make the crust: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter (or margarine) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the melted chocolate. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased, 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until very light brown. Remove pan from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 F.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and vanilla and beat until well blended. Reduce speed to low, and add one egg at a time, beating after each addition just until blended. Beat in sour cream. Place 1-3/4 cups of the filling mixture in a medium bowl, and stir in the rest of the melted chocolate.

Pour half of the plain filling over the crust. Spoon half of the chocolate filling over the plain. Cover with the remaining plain filling, then spoon the remaining chocolate mixture over all. Using a table knife, swirl the chocolate filling through the plain filling.

Place on the center oven rack. Place a shallow pan half full of water on the rack under the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until set. (The center will jiggle slightly when the cake is moved.) Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake (but do not remove the sides of the pan). Cool to room temperature, then cover loosely and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours. Carefully remove sides of pan; cut and serve. If desired, garnish each serving with raspberries and drizzled, melted chocolate. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings

Recipe from Isaac Feinstein, Atlantic City, N.J. (1964), slightly adapted from "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Desserts" (Wiley, 2007)

RUBY RAZZ CRUNCH

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries with syrup, thawed

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen rhubarb, thawed

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

a few drops red food coloring (optional)

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Drain the raspberries, reserving all of the liquid. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the berries for the garnish. Drain the rhubarb and combine the liquid with the raspberry liquid. Measure the liquid and, if necessary, add water to make 1 cup.

Make the filling: In a 2-quart saucepan, mix 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in the cup of berry and rhubarb liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the berries and the rhubarb and set aside.

Make the garnish: Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the reserved 2 tablespoons raspberries and the food coloring (if using) so that the whipped cream is a very light pink. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and dollop the whipped cream in nine portions on the wax paper. Freeze until firm. (It should be firm by the time you are ready to serve.)

Make the crumb crust: In a large bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter (or margarine) until crumbly. Press two-thirds of the crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased, 9-inch square pan. Spoon the filling mixture over the crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling bubbles around the edges. Cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before serving. Cut into nine squares and transfer to a serving plate or bowl. Top each portion with a frozen mound of the whipped cream.

Yield: 9 servings

Recipe from C.W. Myers, Fort Collins, Colo. (1956), slightly adapted from "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Desserts" (Wiley, 2007)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.