82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 16, 1993 Greatest Cocoa Cake Comes From Tioga County LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) —“I came prepared for three fatal ities,” said Sandy Johnson of Tio ga County. Instead, Sandy was proclaimed the first-place winner of the Great est Cocoa Cake Contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Janu ary 9, for which she won a weekend trip for four to her choice of the Hershey Resort and Confer ence Center of the Hershey Hotel. “My kids say that I am a pessim ist,” Sandy said. That was why she prepared two cakes and made a 9-inch three layer cake, which could be cut down to regular size in case it crumbled on the trip. Just in case, Sandy also brought two bowls of extra frosting and choco late roses and’ leaves for decorating. To her relief, the cake that San dy decorated at 3 a.m. that morning survived the four and a half hour drive from their home. She arrived at the Farm Show within 15 minutes of the entry deadline. -yK v a tough job,” said Sec. of Agriculture Boyd Wolff with obvi ous pleasure. Second Try Earns Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Honors LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff ' HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) “Nothing is as American as Mom and apple pie,” was the theme of the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest held at the Farm Show on January 9. Out of 54 entries, Pamela Paul sell’s All-American Green Apple Pie was pronounced the winner of the $lOO prize. Pamela said that she got up at 4 a.m. to bake the pie. She traveled from her home in Chester County, holding her freshly baked pie, and reached the Farm Show Complex at 8:30 a.m. Judging began at 10 a m. “It’s the same recipe that I entered last year, but it didn’t even place then,” said Pamela, who advises others to keep trying even if they don’t succeed at first. Since she did not win at the state level last year, Pamela admits to being tempted to change her recipe, but family members urged her to keep the same recipe, “because it tastes great and a diffe rent set of judges might like it.” It was good advice as Jim Harvey, one of the judges, said that Pamela’s pic “was one of the finest Sandy and her husband Charles live on a 400-acre Pennsylvania dairy farm that borders New York. Sandy taught herself the art of cake decorating after the birth of her first child. Now five children and one grandchild later, Sandy has a small cake decorating busi ness that she operates from her home. Sandy said that she has been using the chocolate cake recipe for years. For the visual appeal, Sandy said, “I just started decorating and this is what I ended up with.” The cake had a mass of choco late roses and chocolate covered leaves, which were real rose leaves brushed with a mixture of melted chocolate chips and chocolate can dy wafers. “My cake uses real dairy pro ducts,” Sandy stressed. So, also does the cake of second-place winner Dolly Longenecker, who was grand prize winner of last year’s state contest. This year, Dolly baked a different cake than last year. Dolly, who also comes from a dairy farm. apple pies I’ve ever seen or eaten.” Other judges were Betty Groff, cook book writer and owner of Groff’s Farm Restaurant, Lancas ter; Brad Flich, operations mana ger for Z 107; and Kirsten Miller of JDK Catering, Harrisburg. Each of the judges chose three out of the 15 pies they tasted. Then the pies of the 12 finalists were again tasted and awarded points by each judge. Judging was based on overall appearance, crust flavor, color, and texture, filling flavcfr and tex ture, and creativity. To be eligible to enter the state apple pie contest, entries must first win a blue ribbon at a county fair. Pamela won hers at the Unionville Community Fair. Second place and $6O went to Charlotte Glenett of Middleburg for her Rhu-Cran-Apple Pie. Third place and $4O was earned by Debra Todd of Graysvillc. Pennylvania Apple Marketing Program awarded the premiums. Here is tjie recipe for the prize winning pie, which is a Betty Crocker recipe with Pamela’s “touches.” baked a Chocolate Mint Cake that earned her a $3O prize. It had been the winner at the Manheim Com munity Farm Show. Third place and $35 went to Julie Raup for her Cocoa-Nut Lay er Cake. Entries in the competition needed to win a blue ribbon at the county level before they could qualify for state competition. According to Beverly Gruber, secretary-treasurer of the Pennsyl vania State Association of County Fairs, there was a total of 1,118 cakes entered in 94 county and lo cal fairs. Judges for the state competition were Lynn Stallworth, New York culinary writer; Michael Schnader, Allentown; MarteneFirestine, sec retary for Penn Agri-woman; and Dianne Hassinger, cook from Millersburg. Here is the first-prize cake recipe. SANDY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE 1 cup butter 3 cups lightly packed brown sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla V* cup cocoa powder 3 teaspoons baking soda 'A teaspoon salt 3 cups minus 6 tablespoons flour I'/i cup sour cream I'A cup boiling water Cream butter, add brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in Hershey’s cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add flour alternate ly with sour, cream. Blend on .low speed until blended,/ Add water and stir agaim 1 Pour into three greased 9-inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing. Cool and frost with your favorite butter cream frosting. ALL-AMERICAN GREEN APPLE PIE Select Crispin apples (a Penn ylvania hybrid apple that is green and sweetly tart, crisp, and out standing for eating and baking). Pare and slice the apples, thinly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons lemon juice 'A cup granulated sugar A cup brown sugar 'A cup flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon Dash salf 3 tablespoons butter Mix the dry ingredients and blend in butter. Spread over apples while preparing the crust. Pie Crust Makes 2 9-inch crusts 2 cups unbleached flour 1 teaspoon salt Vi cup plus 2 tablespoons veget able shortening VA cups cold water Blend dry ingredients and shor tening. Slowly add a little wa’ter to mix dry ingredients, just enpugh for easy handling.'Split the dough in half and roll out the bottom crust. Add the apple filling. Roll out the second crust and place over top. Crimp and seal. Brush lightly with milk and bake at 425 degrees in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Protect edges of pie crust with foil during the first 30 minutes of baking. Sandy Johnson held this prize-winning cake on her lap during the 4% hour trip from Tioga County. Last year’s cake-baking champion Dolly Longenecker placed second this year. Half-and-half contains between 10 and 12 percent milk fat more than milk and less than cream. It can be substituted in Sec. of Agriculture Boyd Wolff congratulates Pamela Paulsell, champion of the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest. VMtnestfiad c floifi* recipes calling for light cream, which has at least 18 percent milk fat, but not for heavy cream, which contains at least 36 percent milk fat
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