Winning recipes from the 2012 Elkhart County 4-H Fair: Baked items



Cinnamon Crackle Cookies

Chelsea Miller, Goshen Go Getters, Grade 3—Level A

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, shortening and sugars. Add egg and extracts. Mix well. Combine next eight ingredients, gradually add to creamed mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes for chewy cookies and 14-15 for crispy cookies.



Maple Bacon Muffins

Joshua Meeks, Charging 4-Hers, Grade 4—Level A

Dry Ingredients:

8 slices chopped, cooked maple flavored bacon, reserve 2 slices for top of muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet ingredients:

1 cup yogurt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons maple flavoring

Mix dry ingredients including bacon in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until just combined. Fill 12 muffin cups 3/4 full. Add a drizzle of maple syrup to the top of each muffing and some of the reserved bacon. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Yield: 1 dozen



Blueberry Oatmeal Coffee Cake

Grace Rheinheimer, Kind Clovers, Grade 5—Level B

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup oats

6 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk, oil and sour cream. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Mix up streusel topping in another bowl. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 batter into the pan. Place 1/2 streusel topping on top of batter. Place remaining batter in the pan and top with remaining streusel topping. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 servings



Bacon and Cheese Southern Biscuits

Katie Lashley, Fairfield Pioneers, Grade 6—Level B

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives

5 thick bacon slices, cooked until almost crisp and finely chopped

1 tablespoon bacon drippings

1 1/4 cups milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with nonstick baking spray or line with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir with whisk to blend well. Work the butter and cheese in with fingers or a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in chives and chopped bacon. Add the bacon drippings and milk, stirring until just moistened. Transfer the mixture to a floured surface and knead just a few times until you have a cohesive bowl of soft dough.

Using your hands, pat into a circle about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness. Handle the dough as little as possible. Cut the biscuits with a biscuit cutter and arrange on prepared baking sheet(s), leaving about an inch between biscuits. Gather any dough scraps together, pat into circle and cut out more biscuits. Repeat with any remaining dough. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Yields 12-15 depending on size.



Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls

William Dahmen III, Clever Clovers, Grade 7—Level C

2 packages dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup milk, scalded

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1 cup instant potato flakes

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Combine milk, margarine, potato flakes, brown sugar, and salt in large bowl. Beat in yeast, eggs and whole wheat flour. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic. Let rise covered for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Shape and place in greased muffin tins. Let rise for one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush with margarine while hot.



Pumpkin Tea Ring with Caramel Frosting

Courtney Pollock, 4-H Fanatics, Grade 8—Level C

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 package yeast

1 cup flour

1 cup bread flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Caramel Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

dash of salt

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Pecan chips

Heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter, just until melted. In separate bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt. Add milk mixture and mix well. Add egg and yeast. Mix well. In separate bowl, mix flours. Add half of flour to pumpkin mixture. Mix. Add enough of remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl turning to coat. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and knead for 5 minutes. Roll out to 12” by 10” rectangle. Mix cinnamon and brown sugar. Brush dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough from long side. Pinch seam to seal. Place in lightly greased pan. Seam side down. Shape into circle, pinching the ends together. With kitchen shears cut 2/3 of the way through dough at 1 inch intervals. Turn each roll on its side. Slightly over lapping. Place in warm place, covered and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Let cool 10 minutes before drizzling with frosting.

For Frosting: Heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Heat gently until sugar is melted. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. And sprinkle with pecan chips on the top.



Harmony Crunch

Terrah Harmon, Bentonettes & Cadets, Grade 9—Level C

6 cups popped popcorn

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cups Reese’s Pieces

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1 bag (8 oz) mini Reese’s cups, halved

2 cups pretzels

2 cups Reese’s puff cereal

3 tablespoons Crisco shortening

Mix popcorn, Reese’s cup halves, cereal and pretzels on a large cooking sheet that has been lined with waxed paper. Mix white chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of shortening in microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave until melted and smooth (about 90 seconds), stopping the microwave and stirring the mixture every 30 seconds. Drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn mixture and toss until everything is coated. Sprinkle mixture with Reese’s pieces. Place pan in refrigerator and let set for 5 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and break mixture into chunks. Mix peanut butter chips with 1 tablespoon shortening in a clean microwave-safe bowl, heat in microwave until melted and smooth (about 1 minute), stopping the microwave and stirring the mixture every 30 seconds. Drizzle the popcorn mix with the melted peanut butter chips. Let set again in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Break into chunks and fill your containers with the mix. Place the container in a cellophane bake and tie with a ribbon. Yield: 10-12 servings



Carmel Apple Pie

Elizabeth Arnold, Room 4-U, Grade 10—Level D

Pie Crust:

3 cups flour

1 cup lard

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 egg

Mix flour, lard and salt together. Add water and egg. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Place in 9 inch pie pan.

Crumb Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup butter

Mix dry ingredients together and cut into 1/2 cup butter until coarse crumbs.

Pie:

1 pie crust in 9 inch pie pan (see above)

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

6 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith Apples

Crumb topping (see above)

1/4 cup caramel topping

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Toss apples in mixture until well coated. Place apples in pie crust. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Place pie on cookie sheet to catch spills. Bake at 375o for 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Drizzle caramel topping over pie. Let cool on wire rack.



Austrian Sachetorte

Aaron Yoder, Middlebury 4-H Club, Grade 11—Level D

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup less 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottoms of two 9” round cake pans with waxed paper. Grease paper and sides of pans. Dust with flour. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar at a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. At low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture until just blended. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake cakes 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Remove paper. Turn layers upside down and cool completely. Split layers in half horizontally.

Apricot Cake:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease only bottoms of two cake pans. Line the bottoms with waxed paper and grease the paper. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Combine apricot preserves and lemon juice. Set aside. Cream together butter and vanilla. At medium speed, gradually beat in sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in apricot preserve mixture. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixture set at a low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in fourths and the milk in thirds, beating after each addition until only blended. Turn batter into prepared pans and spread it evenly. Bake fro about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not under bake. Cool in pans for ten minutes, and then invert the cake to racks. Remove paper and cool completely. Split layers horizontally.

Apricot Glaze:

1 cup apricot preserves

Melt these in a saucepan until thinned

Chocolate Filling:

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup granulated sugar

Heat milk and flour until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool to room temperature. In mixer beat butter, shortening, vanilla and chocolate until fluffy. Add flour/milk mixture. Add sugar and beat like whipped cream.

Chocolate Glaze:

9 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/8 cup water

Place chocolate and butter into small bowl. Combine white sugar and water in small pot and bring to boil. Add hot syrup to the chocolate until it has melted. Use a metal icing spatula to smooth glaze over top and sides of cake.

Assembly:

1. Place layer of chocolate cake on plate. Top with 3/4 cup chocolate filling.

2. Place layer of apricot cake on the chocolate cake. Top with 1/3 cup apricot glaze.

3. Place layer of chocolate cake on the apricot cake. Top with 3/4 cup chocolate filling.

4. Place layer of apricot cake on the chocolate cake. Top with 1/3 cup apricot glaze.

5. Place layer of chocolate cake on the apricot cake. Top with 3/4 cup chocolate filling.

6. Place layer of apricot cake on the chocolate cake. Top with 1/3 cup apricot glaze.

7. Place layer of chocolate cake on the apricot cake.

8. Cover entire cake with chocolate glaze, top and sides.

9. Garnish with dried apricots and fresh mint.



Barbeque Shepard’s Pie

Alexis Bailey, Knee Deep in 4-H

1 1/4 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion

1 can chili beans, drained

3/4 cup barbeque sauce

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups mashed potatoes

Shredded cheese

Cook ground beef and onion together in a skillet on medium high heat for about 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Drain off liquid. Stir in chili beans and barbeque sauce and simmer on low for 8 minutes. Stir in green beans after 6 minutes. Spread potatoes on top of meat mixture. Place skillet in oven and bake for 6 minutes, or until potatoes are brown. Remove from oven and spread cheese over top of potatoes to melt. Yields: 6 1-cup servings