2013 Johnson County Fair Recipes

As a long-time baker, one of my goals was to win a baking contest. I tried, unsuccessfully, a few years ago when I entered Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins in the County Fair for a cranberry baking competition. Those muffins were delicious and looked big and fluffy, but didn't even place because "the white chocolate flavor overpowered the cranberry flavor".

A year or two later, I was ready to try again. This time, I tried three recipes to increase my odds : Light Rye Bread made in a bread machine; Birthday Cookies baked in the microwave; and Apple Muffins sweetened with honey instead of sugar. As it turned out, all three won a first place ribbon for their category! The Birthday Cookies even won the Champion ribbon for the whole Make It in the Microwave group! Best of all, though, we have a couple of great new recipes to treat my family.

Apple Muffins

½ c whole wheat flour

1 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ c vegetable oil

¼ c honey

½ c milk

½ c apple sauce

1 egg, beaten

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped 

Combine dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Bake at 375^o until golden brown (approximately 20-25).
Servings: Makes 7 to 8 muffins

Birthday Cookies

4 Tbsp light margarine

¼ cup + 1 Tbsp sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 container of Betty Crocker Cookie Icing

1 Tbsp multi-colored sprinkles

Cream sugar and margarine, then beat in the egg. Add flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl, and then beat the ingredients together. Chill for 1 hour. Drop 3 tablespoons of batter on parchment paper on plate to make 3 cookies at a time. Microwave the 3 cookies at a time for 90 seconds. Cool cookies on a wire rack, then frost the cookies. Top the cookies with sprinkles. Servings: Makes 9 cookies 

Light Rye Bread

⁷/₈ cup water

1 ²/₃ cups bread flour

¾ cup Rye flour

1 ½ Tbsp sugar

1 ½ Tbsp dry milk

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp margarine

1 ½ tsp Rapid Rise Yeast 

Add ingredients in the order listed to the bread machine pan. Bake in the quick baking, light crust setting (total machine time: 1 hour, 53 minutes).

Whole Grain Cranberry Cobbler

One of my favorite neighbor gifts to make at Christmastime is Cranberry Orange Bread. The red flecks are so festive and the whole house is filled with the aroma of citrus and cranberries. The bread recipe in our battered copy of the Better Home & Garden cookbook makes two very fluffy loaves. However, I overbought cranberries last Christmas.

So, I decided to make a dessert from the orphaned bag of cranberries. I didn't want to make an apple dessert with a few token cranberries, I wanted to make a cranberry dessert. Such recipes aren't very easy to find! There was one, however, on the blog My Husband Cooks. http://myhusbandcooks.wordpress.com/2006/11/22/dont-bogart-that-cranberry-cobbler/

My recipe is based on theirs, but I lowered the sugar and revamped the topping to be whole grain. The sweet/tart combination was so flavorful! We didn't have the cobbler with ice cream, but I imagine that would be over the top delicious.

By the way, I plan to buy a few extra bags of cranberries again next Christmas!

Whole Grain Cranberry Cobbler

Filling:

3 c fresh cranberries (the whole Ocean Spray Cranberries bag)

2 oranges (zest & juice)

1 c Splenda for Baking

1/2 c brown sugar

2 tbsp corn starch

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp clove

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Topping:

1/2 c oats

1/2 c Splenda for Baking

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 stick Blue Bonnet Light margarine

In a large bowl, add the cranberries and the juice and zest of the oranges. Add the remaining filling ingredients and transfer to an 8 x 8 baking dish (or four ramekins). Bake for 30 min at 375F. Meanwhile, chop together the topping ingredients to get a crumbly mixture. WHen you remove the filling from the oven, top the cranberry mixture with the crumble topping and return to the oven. Return the ramekins or baking dish to the oven and cook at 425F for 20-25 min or until the topping has turned golden brown. Serves 4.

Pineapple Bread Pudding

My favorite place to camp with my husband is Clifty Falls in Indiana. The scenery is lovely and opportunities to spot wildlife are frequent. The hiking trails there are excellent, with a good range of difficulty from easy enough to walk while pregnant to challenging. In fact, there was one day we criss-crossed over several trails and were nearly done when we encountered some hikers about to start. we must have looked pretty trail-warn because the woman said, "I was going to ask you for directions, but I don't want to go where you've been!"

One of the other treasures of Clifty Falls State Park is the buffet lunch at the Inn. When you've hiked for a couple of hours, you develop quite an appetite and this spot is supremely satisfying. The food is good, home-style, country cooking. I haven't peeked into the kitchen, but I'm positive it is staffed by grandmotherly people. My husband's favorite dessert at the restaurant is their pineapple bread pudding. So, I brainstormed how I could make a healthier (but still decadent-tasting) version at home for him.

We've had this twice in the past week, if that tells you anything!

Pineapple Bread Pudding

3 slices of homemade bread, left out overnight to get stale, then cut into cubes

1/2 c Egg Beaters

1/2 c 2% milk

1/3 c Splenda

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

8 oz pineapple tidbits, drained (but reserve the liquid)

2/3 c confectioner's sugar

3 Tbsp reserved pineapple juice

Combine Egg Beaters, milk, vanilla, Splenda, and cinnamon, then pour over the cubed bread. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to soak. Bake the pudding in ramekins or custard cups at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the confectioner's sugar and pinapple juice to create the glaze. When the bread pudding is baked, drizzle with the glaze and serve warm.

Serves 2.

Rainy Day Espresso Biscotti

Who doesn't love cookies? This is a great cookie for grown-ups that you should feel proud to serve all your coffee-loving friends. Biscotti is deliciously crispy and made for dunking into a good cup of your favorite coffee or tea. Don't let the fancy name foul you - these treats are simple to make with ingredients you'll likely already have in your pantry.

Today is a rainy day, so it's the perfect day to warm up the house by baking something, then curl up under an afghan with a cup of joe, a good book, and some cookies. My husband was so excited that I made cookies, I've made a mental note that they need to grace our kitchen counter more often! I usually only make cookies for Christmas, but that will change now.

Rainy Day Espresso Biscotti
1 1/8 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground coffee
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c Splenda
1/4 c egg substitute
1 1/2 Tbsp brewed coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, ground coffee, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the egg substitute, Splenda, brewed coffee, and vanilla in a separate bowl until frothy, then add to the flour mixture. Stir until blended.

Gather the dough with lightly floured hands and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Work the dough into a 1 3/4 x 15-inch log with a height of about 1 inch. Transfer the log onto the baking sheet and pat down until it is 3/4 inch tall and 2 inches wide.

Bake the log until firm to the touch, which will occur in 20-25 minutes. Transfer the log o a cutting board and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before cutting it with a serrated knife into 36 3/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake the biscotti for 10 minutes at 300 degrees, then flip them over and bake for 10 minutes more. Cool the biscotti on a rack. Serves 18 (one point for two biscotti).

Apple Bundles

I mentioned already that I don't wait until Sunday to make desserts, right? We love fruity desserts and the simplicity of this apple pastry recipe belies how fancy it looks when served.

Apple Bundles

1 pastry shell

1 apple, peeled and cubed

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c apple sauce

1/4 c confectioner's sugar

Roll out the pastry shell and use a cereal bowl as a template to cut out four circles. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or spray with cooking spray). In the center of each pastry circle, place a tablespoon of apple sauce, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon, and place a quarter of the apple chunks. Lift the pastry edges toward the top, creating a bundle with a small opening at the top. Bake these bundles at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Sprinkle each bundle with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

When I was growing up, my Mom made dessert for Sunday night. We usually didn't have dessert on other nights, so it felt like a special treat. I like having something sweet almost every night, so we are frequent sugar-free, fat-free pudding eaters. Occassionally, though, I like to make something extra special for Mike. Why wait until Sunday?

My husband's favorite cake is Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Let's try to make a healthier version without compromising on the moisture or flavor.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

8 oz pineapple slices

2 Tbsp margarine

1/2 c brown sugar

8 marachino cherries, halved

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 c shortening

3/4 c Splenda

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Drain pineapple juice, reserving it for later. Halve the pineapple slices. Melt margarine in a 9 x 11 baking dish (or 9 inch round pan). Stir in brown sugar and 1 Tbsp pineapple juice. Add water to remaining juice to make 2/3 c of liquid. Arrange pineapple and cherries in pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, beat shortening and Splenda. Add egg whites and vanilla, beat for one minute. Add dry ingredients and the 2/3 c liquid to the beaten mixture in portions, beating after each addition. Spread into pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool the cake for 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Serves 8.

Apple Raisin Pie

Sometimes, it's fun to make a new spin on a classic recipe. My typical apple pie is a delicious blend of apples and cinnamon surrounded by a homemade crust. I wanted to make an extra special version today, so I added raisins. Just before I laid the pie crust on top, Mike suggested having a lattice top rather than a solid one. The result was a scruptious pie that looked very special. So, pour the milk and dig in!

Apple Raisin Pie
4 c Granny Smith apple chunks
1 C Splenda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ c raisins
Combine the fruit, sugar, and spices, then transfer to a pie plate lines with a layer of pastry dough. Cover with strips of pastry to create a lattice top. Brush with milk, and then sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 425 degrees for an additional 45 minutes.

Dough for a Double Crust Pie
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
6-7 Tbsp water
Combine flour, salt, and shortening by using two butter knives or a pastry cutter. Cut in the water and finish combining by using clean hands. Divide dough in half. Roll out onto one half at a time on a floured surface.

Second Healthier Creme Brulee Recipe

I did some research to choose a heavy cream substitute for this try. The flavor is still slightly too eggy and the custard didn't set up quite enough, but this recipe is close. I eliminated more than half the fat and the flavor is close to what I remembered.

Creme Brulee (second attempt)
1/4 c egg substitute
1 egg white
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 c Splenda
3/4 c 2% milk
1/3 c margarine
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 Tbsp white sugar
Stir together the milk, margarine, Splenda, and vanilla bean's contents over medium heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a soft boil, then stir in eggs and pour into ramekins. Place the ramekins in a water bath and bake at 325 degrees for 45minutes. Either cool and store the custards at this point, or transfer to an ice bath. Sprinkle the custards with white sugar and broil for a few minutes in the ice bath just before serving. This serves 2.

Creme Brulee

Several years ago, Mike and I went to Washington, D.C. for a Project Management conference. We stayed in the luxurious Capital Hilton Hotel. The meals in the hotel restaurants were so delicious, we ate there every day. Each meal was topped off with the best Creme Brulee I every had the good fortune to taste.

On the second to last day of the trip, I talked to Mike about how wonderful it would be to have the recipe for that Creme Brulee recipe. So, I told the waitress how much I've enjoyed their meals, how I had eaten there every day for a week because the food was so delicious - especially that Creme Brulee. Would the chef be willing to share the recipe with me? That evening, the recipe to make that fantastic Brulee for a crowd of 16 was slipped under my hotel room door!

At home, I converted the recipe to make a smaller batch and bought ramekins. Mentioning this recipe is will bring a sparkle to your husband's eye. However, the lighter version I'd like to create will take more work. I'm not sure how much egg substitute to use to replace six egg yolks, so I'll start with 3/4 c (figuring half the volume I'd use to replace six eggs). I will replace all the sugar with Splenda. That's all I'll change this time, but that heavy cream is SO full of fat, I'll eventually need to replace some of it.

I goofed this time and added the egg substitute to the milk mixture before boiling. The original recipe said to add the yolks to the cooked milk before pouring the mixture into the ramekins. Moreover, I would decrease the amount of egg substitute next time. This version tasted too eggy.

Creme Brulee (first attempt)

3/4 c egg substitute

1 c Splenda

1 3/4 c Heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

4 Tbsp white sugar

Stir together the heavy cream, egg substitute, Splenda, and vanilla bean's contents over medium heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a soft boil, then pour into ramekins. Place the ramekins in a water bath and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Either cool and store the custards at this point, or transfer to an ice bath. Sprinkle the custards with white sugar and broil for a few minutes in the ice bath just before serving. This serves 4.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

OK, this recipe is neither original nor aligned with the stated assignment, but I made this treat to bring to a friend's house and it was delicious. I recommend serving it with a good cup of coffee, like Dana's french vanilla brew.

I am constantly on the lookout for foods that contain both peanut butter and chocolate. That's why the leftover bars went to work with Mike today. I've learned to exercise Willpower by Proximity, which means I arrange to give away goodies that are too tempting to keep in the kitchen.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c quick-cooking oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c margarine
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c peanut butter
1/4 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips
1/4 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp peanut butter
3 Tbsp milk

Spray a 13x9x2 pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, amd 1/4 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, beat margarine and sugars, then beat in egg. Add the 1/3 c peanut butter, vanilla, and 1/4 c milk and continue beating until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth, then pour into the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, then immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
Combine the rematining powdered sugar and peanut butter in a small bowl. Gradually add in enough milk to create a drizzling consistency. Drizzle this over the top of the bars. Let the bars stand for several hours before serving.
This is supposed to make 36 bars, but who are we kidding?