Fair Time "Blue Ribbon" Recipes

With the Wright County Fair behind us and the State Fair just in front of us, it is time to think “Blue Ribbon” recipes.

Give them a try! They are all winners!

Mini Maple SPAM® Donuts

Servings: 6

1 C. all-purpose flour

3 T. packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 C. plus 1 T. buttermilk

1 egg

1 T. butter, melted

1 12-oz. can SPAM® hickory smoked, SPAM® with bacon, or SPAM® classic

3/4 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. maple flavor

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in 1/3 C. buttermilk, the egg, and melted butter. Beat these together until well blended. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip or a resealable plastic bag. Chill the mixture for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the SPAM® rings and glaze.

Rings: Remove the SPAM® from the can and slice from the lid side to the bottom into 12 slices (each slice about 1/4-inch thick). Using a 1-1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut each slice of SPAM® into 2 rounds (you should have a total of 24 rounds from the can of SPAM®). Using a straw, knife, or small pastry tip, cut a small circle out of the center of each piece of SPAM® to make a ring. Place rings into a large skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides (repeat as necessary with SPAM® rings), then set aside. Take the remaining scrap pieces of SPAM® and finely dice. Place the diced SPAM® the same skillet and fry until golden brown, then set aside.

Glaze: In small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple flavor, and remaining 1 T. of buttermilk until well combined and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Spray a mini donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pipe the batter into the mini donut tin, filling 2/3 of the way full (if using a resealable plastic bag, snip the corner of the bag and pipe batter into the mini donut pans). Place the SPAM ® rings on top of the dough. Bake for 10 min. or until the donuts spring back when touched. Allow the donuts to cool slightly and then carefully remove from the pan. Spread the prepared maple glaze over the donuts and top with the diced SPAM® for sprinkles. Repeat as necessary with the remaining dough and SPAM® rings. Serve the donuts slightly warm.

Cloverleaf Rolls

Prep Time: 1 hr.

Rise Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

Bake Time: 12 min.

Total Time: 2 hr. 42 min.

Servings: 24

1/4 C. warm water (105°-115°)

1 T. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 C. milk

1/2 C. butter or margarine, cut up and softened

1/4 C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 - 4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast and the 1 tsp. sugar; stir to dissolve yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave milk, covered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1 min. and 45 seconds or until heated through (scalded).

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, butter, the 1/4 C.  sugar and salt. Add 1-1/4 C. of the flour to milk mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 min. Beat in the eggs and yeast mixture. Add 1-1/2 C. of the flour. Beat until combined. Add enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a soft dough and clears the sides of the bowl.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 min. total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (1 to 1-1/2 hours).

Shape the rolls: Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 min. Meanwhile, lightly grease twenty-four 2 1/2-inch muffin cups.

Divide each half of the dough into thirty-six equal pieces (for a total of 72 pieces). Gently pull each piece into a ball, tucking edges under to make smooth tops. Place 3 balls into each prepared muffin cup, smooth sides up. Cover with parchment paper; let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 min.).

Bake in a 375°F. oven for 12 to 15 min. or until golden. Immediately remove rolls from cups. Cool slightly on wire racks; serve warm.

Wrap the cooled, baked rolls in a single layer of heavy foil. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, place baked wrapped rolls in a 350°F oven about 25 min.

Broccoli Rockets

Servings: 10

16 oz. frozen chopped broccoli, steamed

1/4 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled into pieces

1/2 yellow onion, diced and sautéed

3 T. all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

1-1/2 C. shredded cheese, preferably Mexican blend or Colby-Jack

4 C. canola oil, for frying

Italian breadcrumbs, as needed

1/2 C. sour cream

1/4 C. mayonnaise

1/4 C. Dijon mustard

2 T. honey

1 T. cider vinegar

In a bowl, mix together the broccoli, bacon, onion, flour, eggs, and cheese until well blended. Refrigerate the mixture for about 1 hr. to help bind the mix to make preparation easier.

In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, and vinegar until all ingredients are combined to form the honey mustard dipping sauce.

Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and set it aside. Form the broccoli mixture into meatball-sized balls. Form each ball around an ice pop stick and roll the ball in the breadcrumbs to coat them. Fry the balls in canola oil heated to 375°F. for 4 min. or until they are golden brown. Serve hot with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Blue Ribbon Beefy Burritos

Prep: 40 min.

Cook: 15 min.

Servings: 8

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 bottle (8 oz.) taco sauce

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt, divided

1/4 tsp. pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained, optional

Oil for frying

3/4 lb. potatoes (about 2 med.), peeled and cut into 1/2-in. cubes

8 flour tortillas (10 in.), warmed

4 C. shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 8-10 min. or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in taco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and, if desired, olives.

In an electric skillet, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°F. Working in batches, fry potatoes 3-4 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with remaining salt.

Stir potatoes into meat mixture. Place 2/3 C. mixture in the center of each tortilla; top with 1/2 C. cheese. Fold bottom and sides of tortilla over filling and roll up.

Wrap each burrito in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake 15-18 min. or until heated through.

Apple-Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Prep: 45 min.

Cook: 45 min.

Servings: 8

2-1/4 C. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1 C. cold unsalted butter, cubed

6 to 8 T. ice water

Filling:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1-1/4 C. sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla extract

9 C. thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples (about 11 med.)

1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. apple pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) pitted tart cherries, drained

2 T. butter

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425°F. For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 C. sugar and vanilla until blended. In a large bowl, toss apples with flour, pie spice, salt and remaining sugar. Stir in cherries.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust even with rim.

Spread cream cheese mixture onto bottom crust. Add apple mixture; dot with butter. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top.

Bake 45-50 min. or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover top loosely with foil during the last 10-15 min. if needed to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Whoopie Pie Cake

Prep Time: 50 min.

Stand Time: 30 min.

Bake Time: 1 hr.

Cool Time: 1 hr.

Total Time: 3 hr. 20 min.

Servings: 16

1-1/2 C. butter

5 eggs

1T. butter, melted

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 C. all-purpose flour

1-1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 C. buttermilk powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2-1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1 T. vanilla

1/2 tsp. instant coffee crystals

1 C. water

Marshmallow Filling

3/4 C. softened butter

7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme

1-1/2 C. powdered sugar

1-1/2 T. vanilla

Chocolate Glaze

1/4 C. heavy cream

1/3 C. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Allow the 1-1/2 C. butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 min. In a small bowl, stir the 1 T.  melted butter and the 1 T. cocoa powder together to form paste. Brush inside of a 10-inch fluted tube pan with cocoa paste; set pan aside.

Cake: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, 1-1/4 C. cocoa, buttermilk powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 sec. Gradually add brown sugar, beating about 5 min. or until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and coffee crystals. Add eggs, one a time, beating 1 min. after each addition and scraping bowl frequently. Add one-third of the cocoa mixture and 1/2 C. of the water, beating on low speed just until well combined. Repeat with another one-third of the cocoa mixture and the remaining 1/2 C. of the water, beating on low speed just until well combined. Add the remaining one-third of the cocoa mixture, beating about 30 sec. or until smooth. Spread batter in the prepared pan.

Bake in a 325°F oven about 60 min. or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 min. Remove cake from pan; cool thoroughly on wire rack.

Split cake in half horizontally. Set cake top aside. Spread marshmallow filling on the bottom half of cake. Place cake top on marshmallow filling. Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the top of cake. Using a long-serrated knife, slice cake into wedges.

Marshmallow Filling: In a large mixing bowl beat softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add marshmallow cream, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Chocolate Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat.  Add semi-sweet chocolate pieces.  Heat and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Quote of the Week:

“What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.” 

~ Jane Austen, 1775-1817, United Kingdom