Aug 26, 2018 9 min read

The Washington County Fair had some great recipes submitted for this year’s baking competition. Here are some of the winning recipes.

Apple Pie

Michele Ashby of Amity took first in the apple pie contest.

County Fair Apple Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup butter flavor Crisco

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

6 cups peeled, thinly-sliced tart baking apples

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

For crust:

Mix ingredients until blended with fork. Add ice water to flour mixture a little at a time to form ball. Roll crust on floured surface. Make a top and bottom crust. Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside.

For filling:

Toss apples with lemon juice in large bowl. Add dry ingredients and toss until mixed. Mix caramel topping and pecans into mixture. Fill pie pan. Place two dots of butter on top of mixture and cover with top crust. Flute edges. Place into preheated 400 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

For topping:

Melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and heavy whipping cream. Stir constantly while bringing to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans. Pour over top crust of baked pie. Place in oven an additional 3-4 minutes or until bubbly.

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Chocolate cake

Jayme Kopecek of Charleroi took first.

Angry Orange Whoopie

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups flour

1 1/3 cups Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plus 8 tablespoons whole milk

1 1/3 cup hot coffee

1 “airline-size” bottle Grand Marnier

Icing:

2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 ounce heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups pasteurized liquid egg whites

12 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon salt

12 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Orange gel food coloring

2 teaspoons orange extract

Zest of 2 oranges

1/4 teaspoon citric acid

Chocolate sprinkles for decoration

Directions

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round pans with shortening. Cut a round piece of parchment paper and place in bottom. Grease the parchment and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Shake off excess and set aside.

Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix together on low with the paddle attachment.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk.

Add to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and scrape down sides. Turn on the mixer and add the hot coffee slowly until well combined.

Fill the cake pans and bake for 50-55 minutes. Check cake after 50 minutes with a toothpick or cake tester. Bake until that comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, brush the tops with the Grand Marnier and let dry.

For icing:

Place the chocolate in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and microwave in smaller increments if necessary until melted and smooth. Set aside until no longer hot.

Combine the egg whites, powdered sugar and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix everything together on low speed until sugar is moistened and no dry patches remain. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula, then turn the mixer on to medium speed. Beat for 5 minutes.

Turn the mixer to medium-low and start adding the softened room temperature butter, one to two tablespoons at a time. Once all butter is incorporated, mix in vanilla extract. Stop mixer and scrape down sides. Turn speed to medium and beat buttercream for 10 minutes.

Separate out about 1 cup of frosting and mix the melted chocolate in.

To the remaining frosting, add several drops of food coloring, orange zest, orange extract and citric acid. Mix well and adjust the color and flavoring to liking.

To decorate:

For two-toned icing, start with orange icing and daub on chocolate icing. Use a scraper to smooth the two colors.

Combine the dark chocolate and cream in a medium bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Whisk until completely melted and smooth with a thin texture. Pour over top of cake. Place in refrigerator until set. Transfer remaining orange buttercream to piping bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes along the edge of cake and swag a border. Top the rosettes with chocolate sprinkles.

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Angel food cake

Kim R. Teichmann of Avella won first.

Raspberry-filled Lemon Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cake flour

12 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 small box lemon Jello

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 egg whites

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For cake:

Combine powdered sugar, flour and Jello powder and set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition. Beat until stiff and glossy. Sprinkle flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time over egg mixture and fold in with a spatula. Push batter into a 10-inch angel food pan and draw knife through batter to release air pockets. Bake on lowest oven rack at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until cracks on top feel dry. Immediately invert cake onto a bottle to cool.

For filling:

Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in jam. Cut a 2-inch layer off the top of cooled cake. Hollow out a tunnel, leaving a 3/4 inch shell. Fill with raspberry filling. Replace the top and frost.

For frosting:

In double boiler, combine sugar, egg whites, water and cream of tartar. With a portable mixer, beat on low for 1 minute. Continue beating over low until mixture reaches 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add vanilla and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

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SPAM

Jennifer Marth of Washington took first.

Tropical SPAM Salsa

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) can Classic SPAM, diced small

2 tablespoons butter

1 (15 ounce) can southwest corn, drained

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 red onion, diced

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

1/4 cup sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

In a medium skillet, melt butter. Add diced SPAM and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

Cut the top off a fresh pineapple and and hollow it out. Dice contents of pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup. Set pineapple and top aside.

Mix the corn, beans, cheese, green onion, red onion, cilantro and pineapple together in a large bowl. Add spam and toss to combine all ingredients.

Mix sugar, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic powder until combined. Add to the salsa and toss. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Place the prepared salsa in the pineapple. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Junior cookies

Damien Shaffer, 12, of McDonald, won first.

Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie:

1 cup softened butter

2 tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix

2 cups finely chopped pecans

Filling:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1/4 box instant pistachio pudding

Directions

For cookies:

Mix all ingredients except pecans. When well mixed, make dough into 1-inch balls.

Roll in crushed pecans.

Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Press a thumbprint and return to oven for 2 to 3 more minutes, until firm and golden on bottom.

Let cool.

For filling:

Beat to desired consistency and fill the thumbprints. Garnish with maraschino cherry and drizzle with white or dark chocolate as desired.

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Junior SPAM

Tyler Ligman, 8, of Washington, took home first.

Pigs on the Beach

Ingredients

1 can Bacon flavor SPAM

10 ounces pineapple with juice

1/2 pound ground maple pork

1/2 loaf french bread

2 eggs

1 medium onion

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Bacon bits

Barbecue sauce

For rice:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups instant rice

Directions

Break up bread and mix with pineapple in mixing bowl. Blend onion and eggs in blender until onions are chopped. Combine mixture with bread and pineapple in mixing bowl. Mix in mozzarella cheese and bacon bits.

Mix SPAM and pork together in small bowl to a fine consistency.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and place meatballs 1-inch apart on cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the meatballs. Pour desired amount of barbecue sauce over meatballs. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Combine the coconut milk and instant rice in a 2 quart microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Serve with meatballs.

Makes 30-35 meatballs.