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Your chocolate dessert might be the best in Smith County.

If you want to know for sure, enter it Saturday into the annual Smith County Chocolate Contest.

Each year, dozens of entries (for both youth and adults) are entered to determine how they stack up to area cooks. A panel of judges will pick the best, after sampling each dessert.

The Smith County Extension Education Association will accept entries from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Texas AgriLife Extension Service auditorium in room 116A of the Cotton Belt Building, 1517 W. Front St. in Tyler. The entry fee is $1 per item and is due on the day of the contest.

For those craving a chocolate dessert, consider this recipe from Blue Bunny:

Candy Bar Cake

Serves 16

1 box dark chocolate cake mix
1 cup marshmallow cream
5 cups Blue Bunny Premium Butter Pecan Ice Cream
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
Whipped cream
Pecan halves

Prepare, bake, and cool cake mix as package directs, baking in two 9-inch round cake pans.

Place one layer of cake (top side down) on a serving plate. Spoon ice cream onto cake and drizzle with caramel topping.

Spread marshmallow creme on bottom side of second layer of cake; place on top of ice cream.

Freeze for several hours. To serve, garnish top with whipped cream and pecan halves.

For something more savory, try this recipe from Dreamfields:

Linguine with Almond-Crusted Chicken Breast

16 ounces linguine
2 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup skim milk
Juice of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted and then coarsely chopped

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain well. In a medium bowl, mix together milk, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, mix together bread crumbs and toasted almonds. Pound chicken until size doubles.

Dip chicken into milk and lemon juice mixture.

Allow mixture to drop off and then coat chicken in bread crumb mixture to coat well.

Heat oil in saute pan and cook garlic, onion and basil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Place chicken in saute pan and cook for 5 more minutes over medium heat. Add wine, turn chicken over and cook for 5 more minutes or until no longer pink.

Remove chicken breast and cut into 1/2-inch julienne strips. Transfer cooked pasta into saute dish to absorb remaining juice from chicken.

Place chicken over a bed of spaghetti and serve immediately Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil and toasted slivered almonds, if desired.

For next week, send your favorite vegetable recipes.

If you have a request or would like to share a recipe, write to Readers' Swap, Tyler Morning Telegraph, P.O. Box 2030, Tyler, 75710 or e-mail food@tylerpaper.com.