What’s Cookin’ LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) Some of the best bakers in Leba non County and surrounding areas competed for top placings in the Lebanon Area Fair con tests for apple pie, brownies, chocolate cake, and quick bread. Only the first place in each cat egory is eligible to advance to top competition at the state level, where substantial prizes are awarded. For this reason, many of the same contestants enter year after year is search of that elusive win. Some contestants, such as Be linda Myers, Dallastown, and Dorothy Martin and her daugh ter Deb Martin of Conestoga, enter as many as seven fairs to qualify for state competition. It’s their dream to sweep all catego ries. Some people use the same reci pe year after year, but not Belin- American Honey Queen Renee Blatt holds the prize winning apple pie that includes honey of course. Renee also garnered ribbons for numerous other entries such as sweet and jalapeno peppers, sunflowers, and swine. She raises 30 varieties of sunflowers for extension research. ing projects paid off for Connie Knauss, Dorothy Martin and daughter Deb Martin. Candy Apple Pie 6 cups thinly sliced peeled bak ing apples 2 tablespoons lime juice 'A cup sugar 'A cup all purpose flour /i teaspoon cinnamon or nut meg A teaspoon salt Pastry for double crust pie (9 inches) 2 tablespoons butter Topping: ‘A cup butter 'A cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream '/2 cup chopped pecans In a large bowl, toss apples with lime juice. Combine dry in- da. She said, “You’ve got to come back with something different every year.” She and her daughter Katie have garnered numerous win nings from local fairs and have placed first at the state level sev eral times. “I love to bake. And I’m going to keep entering until I hit it with the apple and shoo-fiy pies,” Belinda said. The Martin mother-and daughter team also change their recipes. Both have won numerous times at the state level. At Monday’s competition, Be linda took first place in the choc olate cake competition; Dorothy Martin, second; and Melissa Graeff, Palmyra, third. American Honey Queen Renee Blatt, Lebanon, baked the best apple pie. This was her first time placing in the pie competition. Coming in second was Connie Knauss, Myerstown, and Doro thy Martin placed third. gredients, add to the apples and toss lightly. Place bottom pastry in a 9-inch pie plate and fill with apple mixture. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Flute edges high and cut steam vents. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and apples are tender. Mean while, for topping, melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in pecans. Pour over top crust. Return to the oven for 3-4 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings. Connie Knauss At Lebanon Area Fair? Renee said that she called up Kelly Miller, a Manheim bee keeper, for advice on baking a prize-winning pie using honey. Kelly gave her several pointers that Renee adapted into her reci pe. One of these was cutting leaf shapes from the pie dough to decorate the top. Renee also used the recipe for her grandmother’s crust. “My grandmother watched me make it to make sure I did every thing right, but she didn’t help me,” Renee said. Neither did the two taste it, since it was the first time she tried the recipe. The brownie and chocolate cookie category is reserved for youth. Rachel Siegel, Lebanon, placed first; Andrea Dice, Freder icksburg, second; and Katherine Hess, Myerstown, third. New this year was the quick bread contest. Pennsylvania’s Simply Delicious program spon sored this contest to show crea tive ways to uses at least one cup of state-grown vegetables in the quick bread. Belinda Myers also swept the quick bread recipe with her Korny Kom Bread. “I got up early, picked corn, cut it off the cob, and added this and that, ” Belinda said of her secret for suc cess. Deb Martin placed second with her bread that contained an un usual ingredient lavender, a herb. Third place went to Linda Sie gel, Lebanon. Since the Siegels raise produce to sell and are members of the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers, it’s only nat ural that Linda continually incor porates the produce she raises into her recipes. She was espe cially proud that her 11-year-old daughter Rachel won the brown ie contest her first try. Lori Dice said that her sister had won at Lebanon County last year. Both entered this year’s competition. It was the first time Lori entered and she was pleased to place above her sister. Here are some of the recipes entered. First-place recipes are not printed until after state com petition. Heavenly Hash Brownies 1 cup butter Va cups unsweetened cocoa 4 eggs V/* cups sugar V/2 cups all purpose flour 2 cups chopped nuts (choice) 2 teaspoon vanilla Creamy cocoa icing follows: 10-ounce package marshmal lows Icing: 6 tablespoons butter Va cups evaporated milk 6 cups powdered sugar Va cups unsweetened cocoa Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9 pan. Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in cocoa. Re move from heat. Beat in eggs, sugar, add flour, nuts, vanilla. Spread even in pan. Bake 20-30 minutes. Do not over bake it. Prepare topping by adding all icing ingredients in medium sauce pan over medium heat. When brownies are done, pour marshmallows over brownies right away and cover with hot top icing to your liking. Let cool com- pletely and then cut Yield 16. Andrea Dice >• ' ** M *-*r*»*r*m'*'itf***m‘'m**mm'W'9*’*mm'*r**.'*'*c J v v v-l Belinda Myers hit the Jackpot with her chocolate cake and quick bread entries. Lebanon was the first fair of seven that Belinda usually enters items. Culinary expertise runs in the Siegel family. Linda and her daughter Rachel achieved first-place wins at Lebanon Area Fair, qualifying them to advance to state competi tion. Lebanon Fair Queen Jennifer Watson shows off a quilt ed skirt she designed and entered in the fair. The 17-year-old is homeschooled and hopes to become an inner-city teacher for middle school students. “That’s the age they are most influenced by others,” Jennifer said of her desire to guide them into positive actions. The / fair queen competition required a written essay, interview with judges, a speech, and answering the impromptu question of naming the biggest detriment to the U.S. and its greatest asset. She said the nation’s greatest asset is its godly foundation, but Its detriment is people's callous attitude toward each other. -i* -V i
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