Home bakers Archives : Page 2 of 2 : TRAVEL/FOOD

Old Fashioned Fairs and Food

Fairs, Family, Family Excursions, Festivals, Food, Fruit, Home bakers, Home Town Fun, Michigan, Pies, Southwest Michigan, Uncategorized

I love going to food festivals and state and county fairs and seeing what great home cooks both young and adult are doing. One such favorite that I never miss is the Berrien County Youth Fair in Southwest Michigan which always hosts an annual Baked Fruit Pie Contest, an event highlighting the lush and lovely fruit of the region. The competition features threecategories—the Adult Division, the Youth Division and Most Eye Appealing which went to Brianna Anthony for her Peach Blueberry Pie. The winners in the Adult Division were 1st Place: Sandy Vorrath – Pineapple-Mango Crumb Pie, 2nd Place: Chris Dohm – Baked Fresh Cherry Pie, 3rd Place: Michelle Foxworthy – Blueberry Apple Pie, 4th Place: Ruth Vorrath – Fresh Red Raspberry Crumb Pie and 5th Place: Joyel Timmreck – Blueberry-Cherry Streusel Pie.

In the Youth Division 1st Place: Elise Barber – Strawberry Crumb Pie, 2nd Place: Brianna Anthony – Peach Blueberry Pie, 3rd Place: Clara Berry – Blueberry Pie, 4th Place: Brianna Anthony – Cherry Almond Pie and 5th Place: Adrianne Barber – Cherry Pie.

Sponsors were Kilwin’s, Lemon Creek Winery and the Eau Claire Fruit Exchange for donating the prizes for the baked fruit pie contest.

Sandy Vorrath’s Pineapple-Mango Crumb Pie

Filling Ingredients:

2 cored pineapples, chopped

1 cup chopped mango

1 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup pineapple juice

½ teaspoon lemon juice

3 drops coconut extract

½ cup flaked coconut

Crust Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup butter flavored shortening

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon. powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

¼ cup iced pineapple juice

Topping Ingredients:

½ cup butter cut into pieces

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

¼ cup flaked coconut

Crust:

Mix together all of the crust dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening to make little crumbs. Mix together the egg and pineapple juice. Add to crust ingredients a little at a time until the dough holds together. Roll dough out onto a floured counter top to about 1/8 inch thick and fit into a pie plate. Trim and flute the crust edges, put pie crust in the freezer until ready to use.

Filling:

Mix together the sugar and corn starch in a large cooking pot. Add the pineapple juice and lemon juice. Over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pineapple and mango chunks and bring mixture back to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the coconut extract and coconut. Mix well. Let the mixture cool.

Topping:

Mix together the flour, sugars and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbs form. Add the macadamia nuts and coconut. After filling has cooled, pour it in the frozen crust and top pie with crumb topping. Bake pie at 350⁰ for 40 minutes, or until pie is brown and filling bubbles.

Brianna Anthony’s Peach Blueberry Pie

Crust Ingredients:

¾ cup cake flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons salted butter

5 tablespoons shortening

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoon white vinegar

3 ice cubes

½ cup cold water

Filling Ingredients:

¼ cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls

4 medium-sized peaches, pitted and thinly sliced

1½ cups fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon zest

1 egg white

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon white sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375⁰

To prepare crust:

Measure butter and shortening on a plate, put in freezer for 20 minutes.

While butter and shortening are in the freezer, measure both flours, sugar, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix until combined. Put ½ cold butter and ½ cold shortening in bowl with dry ingredients and mix until combined. Take remainder of the cold butter and shortening and cut into bowl very briefly, leaving visible pea-sized chunks. Do not over mix!

In measuring cup, mix egg yolk and vinegar and add ice cubes and water. Let chill 3- 4 minutes.

Sprinkle approximately 4-5 tablespoons of the egg/water mixture a little at a time and mix gently with fork. Do not over wet the dough or over mix. Place dough in plastic bag and chill in refrigerator for a few minutes. Remove and roll out for pie.

Filling:

Brush the egg white mixture on the inside of the crust. Finely grind the tapioca in a food processor for about 1 minute. Combine the blueberries, peaches, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, and tapioca in a large bowl. Add the mixed ingredients to the bottom crust. Place a lattice crust on top of the pie. Brush the top with egg yolk. Stir together 1 Tbsp. of white sugar and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the pie. Bake in a 375⁰preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Elise Barber’s Strawberry Crumb Pie

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon shortening

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 – 8 tablespoon ice cold water

2 pounds (about 4-4½ cups) strawberries, sliced

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup finely ground instant tapioca or tapioca flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

For Crumb Topping:

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fine salt

5½ – 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Crust:

Cut shortening into flour and salt, using pastry blender, until particles are size of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon. at a time, until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl. Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Brown Sugar Crumb Topping:

Put oats in food processor and pulse until oats are texture of coarse cornmeal. Pour in a bowl and add flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. Add melted butter and blend with fork until butter is incorporated and mixture gathers into small clumps (you may not need to add all of the butter). Place bowl in the refrigerator and chill crumbs before topping pie.

Filling:

Preheat oven to 375⁰.

In a large bowl, stir strawberries with lemon juice, orange zest and vanilla extract. Stir well. Whisk sugar, ground tapioca, and cornstarch together in small bowl. Combine sugar mixture with strawberries.

Roll out pastry according to size of pie plate. Pour filling into pastry. Top pie with , spreading in even layer and covering all fruit.

Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Bake 25 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350⁰ and baked 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until juice bubbles up through crumb. Top with foil if overbrowning.

Place baking sheet on wire rack and let pie cool overnight, uncovered at room temperature.

Celebrating the Season of Peaches in Southwest Michigan

Family, Festivals, Food, Home bakers, Home Town Fun, Michigan, Southwest Michigan, Uncategorized

I owe a big thank you to Nancy Perry, chairperson for the 2018 Coloma Glad Peach Festival who sent in the winning recipes from the annual Glad Peach Bake Fest Winners. The three-day festival, held the first weekend in August, celebrated its 51^st year. There were four categories with Mallory Spaulding winning both first place in the Breads/Muffins/Coffee as well as Best of Show, Sherry Bachman who too first in Cookies/Bars, Kendall Bachman for Pies/Pasties and Sherri Ulleg for Cakes/Cupcakes.

First Place: Breads/Muffins/Coffee Cakes & Best of Show

Mallory Spaulding’s Peach Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients for muffins:

½ cup softened/salted butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon all spice

2 large eggs – room temp

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup yogurt (any kind)

3 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup chopped peaches (approximately 3 peaches)

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Crumb topping:

Mix sugars, cinnamon, melted butter with a spatula, mix in flour. Topping will be crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffins, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and beat until creamed. Add eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract. Beat for 1 minute then increase speed to high. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, all spice and salt. Pour wet ingredients into dry and slowly mix. Add milk until combined and little lumps remain. Fold in peaches with a wooden spoon.

Next, pour batter into 12 muffin tins. Press a handful of crumble topping into each muffin. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then decrease to 350 degrees and bake for 15 to 19 minutes.

For glaze, whisk all ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins.

First Place: Cookies/Bars

Sherry Bachman’s Peach Cream Cheese Cookies

Makes 4 ½ Dozen Cookies

5 cups pecans

4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1-1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Peach jam

Coarsely chop 1-1/2 cup of pecans and spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together flour and salt in large bowl

Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for another minute

Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the flour/salt until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in toasted pecans.

Transfer dough to work surface and divide the dough in half. Shape each half into an 8 inch log about 2 inches in diameter.

Wrap each log in plastic wrap and put in freezer for about 4 hours…or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop remaining 1-1/2 cups of pecans. Unwrap one of the logs of dough and rolls in the pecans. Cut into ¼ inch thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Rotate the cookies halfway thru to ensure even baking.

Let cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Dip cookies in peach jam and remaining 2 cups chopped peaches.

First Place: Cakes/Cupcakes

Sherri Ulleg’s Peach Pound Cake With Maples Cream Sauce And Candied Pecans

Cake Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

6 large eggs

3 cups white sugar

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 medium peaches (peeled, pitted, diced)

Sauce Ingredients:

5 tablespoons maple syrup

1-1/2 cup heavy whipped cream

4 tablespoons light corn syrup

Pecan Ingredients:

16 ounces pecan chips

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons water

1 egg white

To make cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease Bundt pan well and sprinkle with 3 tbsp of flour. Shake pan to coat, then tap out excess. Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in eggs one at a time until yolk disappears. Add in vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low until light and fluffy (about 4 mins). In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture in batches, alternating with the sour cream. Mix on low until just blended. Add 1/4 flour to peaches and toss until coated. Fold peach mixture into batter gently, making sure peaches are mixed evenly throughout. Add batter to Bundt pan, filling about ¾ full. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool pan for 15 minutes, then invest cake onto a dish. Cool completely before adding sauce or other coating.

To make sauce:

In a medium sauce pan, combine heavy whipping cream, maple syrup and corn syrup. Heat on medium heat, stirring regularly. Allow sauce to simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Cool the sauce in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before drizzling over cake.

To candy pecans:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In medium bowl, mix egg white, vanilla and water. Whisk until frothy. Add pecans and coat completely with the egg mixture. In a Ziploc bag, combine sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add pecans and shake. Bake mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1 hour, stirring the pecans every 15 minutes. Cool completely, then sprinkle over cream sauce on cake top.

First Place: Pies/Pastry

Kendall Bachman’s Peach Cream Cheese Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients For Pie Crust:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3 tablespoon heavy cream

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place cream cheese and butter in food processor and pulse for 10 seconds, then pour in cream and pulse for 20 to 30 seconds or until fluffy.

Scrape down sides and add in flour and salt, then pulse again until mixture comes together and starts pulling away from the food processor.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth, then divide dough in half.

Shape halves into discs and wrap both tightly in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and transfer to pie plate.

To bake: preheat oven to 375 degrees for 11 minutes or golden brown.

Ingredients for Peach Bavarian Cream Filling:

1 5.1 ounce package instant vanilla pudding

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-5 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped peaches

Beat whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form. Run the mixer on low while slowly sprinkling in the pudding powder. Mix until fully mixed. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time to reach spreading consistency. Add more milk for a thinner filling. Add peaches.

It’s All About the Cherries: The Annual Eau Claire, MI Cherry Baking Festival

Home bakers, Home Town Fun, Uncategorized

It was all about the cherries, as it is every year at the Eau Claire Cherry Festival, held each July 4^th in downtown Eau Claire. Michigan. This year, I was asked, along with Sara and Hanns Heil, to judge the festival’s 31st annual Cherry Baking Contest. Of course, loving small town food events, I had to say yes.

P1060924 — From left to right: Jane Simon Ammeson, Hanns Heil & Sara Heil.

Like in years past, contestants could enter one or more of the six categories: Cakes, Breads, Pies, Desserts, Miscellaneous and Quick Mixes, a category where entrants can use cake mixes, pie fillings and other store bought ingredients, none of which can be used in the other five categories. Besides that, both a Grand Prize and Most Eye Appealing winner is then selected from the first place winners of the six categories.

After the prizes were awarded, the baked goods were auctioned off by John Glassman, raising approximately $2245.00.

“We had a lot of great looking desserts,” said Chris Dohm, who with Betty Timmreck, organized the contest.

Celina Cantrell’s Cherry Celebration Cake won in three categories—taking first place for cakes, being selected as most Eye-Appealing and also was the Grand Prize winner. Coming in second for Cakes was Carole Skibbe’s Mrs. America Cherry Cake. Third place went to Denise Rogers for her Cherry Crumb Cake.

In the Quick & Easy category, Joyel Timmreck took first place for her Cherry Supreme Cake, Barb Adams placed second for her Cherry Treat and Levi Lollas won third place for his Cherry Golden Muffins.

Celina Cantrell’s Red, White & Cherry Dessert took first in the Desserts category, Debra Lollar won second for Cherries on a Cloud and third went to Kortney Rodriguez for her Cherry Pie Bars.

Stephanie Glassman’s Cherry Mousse was the first place winner in the Miscellaneous category. Coming in second was Aiye Akhigbe for her Cherry Pie Jam and third went to Danielle Dilts for her Very Cherry Salad.

In the pie category, Sara Disterheft’s Sweet Cherry Pie won first place, Maxine Wagner took second for her Cherry Rhubarb Pie and Celina Cantrell third for her 3 Cherry Cherry Pie.

The following are the first place recipes.

First Place: Cakes

Grand Prize Winner & Most Eye Appealing

Celina Cantrell’s Cherry Celebration Cake

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract

6 egg whites

2 ¼ cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

21 ounces cherry pie filling

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, soft

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare three round cake pans with butter and flour.

In one bowl combine milk, egg whites, almond and vanilla extract.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in butter. Add one-half of the wet mixture, mix and then add remaining wet mixture.

Divide batter into three round cake pans.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cake cool in pans.

Cherry Filling:

In a sauce pan, cook cherry filling until warm, add extract and cook on low for five minutes. Mix water and cornstarch, then stir into cherries. Remove for heat and let cool.

Frosting:

Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar.

Assemble the cake:

Spread a thin layer of frosting on the first layer of cake, then add cherries. Repeat with second layer. Top the two layers with the third cake, frost and top with cherries.

Optional: Add sliced almonds for looks and taste.

First Place: Quick & Easy Mixes

Joyel Timmreck’s Cherry Supreme Cake

One Cherry Chip cake mix

1 cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

½ cup chopped tart cherries

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom only of two 8-inch cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients except cherries until blended then beat on medium speed for two minutes. Add cherries and mix until blended. Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack. Remove from pans and place cake on plate. Frost then place other on top and frost entire cake.

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 pound confectioner’s sugar

4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix all together until fluffy.

Variations:

One jar stemmed maraschino cherries; desired amount to decorate cake.

First Place: Pies

Sara Disterheft’s Sweet Cherry Pie

2 ½ cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

One cup unsweetened butter, very and cool cut into teeny cubes

½ cup ice water (you might not use it all)

Mix flour sugar and salt. Add butter until mixture becomes coarse. Slowly blend in just enough ice water form moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Form dough into 2 balls and gently flatten into disks. Wrap each in the plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours.

For the filling:

5 cups sweet cherries, pitted

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large bowl stir together all the ingredients. Let mixture sit while you make your crumble and roll out your crust.

For the crumble:

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix sugar and flour together in a medium-sized bowl, then stir in melted butter. Put the topping in the freezer.

Assembly and Baking:

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Roll out half of the chilled dough on a well-floured work surface, rolling into a 12-inch round. Gently place the dough in 9-inch pie pan. Trim the edges of crimp them decoratively. Add cherry mixture into the pie crust, making sure the majority of its juices remain in the bowl. Add half of the frozen crumble on top of the pie filling and then place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Rotate pie and add the remaining crumble. Bake for another 25 minutes or until crust and crumble are golden.

First Place: Breads

Celina Cantrell’s Red, Yellow, Cherry Bread with Cherry Blossom Butter

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 2/3 cup flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup sour cream

1 cup chopped and pitted yellow cherries

Glaze:

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Grease and flour loaf pan.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add extract, lemon juice and rind. Add eggs one at a time. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Alternate with sour cream. With a spoon, fold in cherries.

Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Let cool before drizzling with glaze.

To make glaze, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Cherry Blossom Butter

Cream together 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature) with ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries and ½ teaspoon almond extract.

First Place: Miscellaneous

Stephanie Glassman’s Cherry Mousse

1 package cherry Jell-O (4 serving size)

½ cup boiling water

1 cup fresh cherries, chopped

½ cup cream cheese, softened

½ cup cold water

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Cool Whip

Cool Whip and/or maraschino cherries

Add Jell-O into a small bowl and pour in boiling water. Stir until dissolved.

Add cherries, cream cheese, cold water and vanilla extract. Blend for one minute or until smooth.

Pour mixture into a large bowl and whisk in Cool Whip

Spoon mixture into dessert dishes and place in refrigerator to set, about 2 hours.

To serve, top with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries, if desired.

First Place: Desserts

Celina Cantrell’s Red, White & Cherry Dessert

Crust:

1 cup crushed almond sugar cookies

¼ cup melted butter

Filling:

8 ounce package Cherry Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

½ cup

1 cup fresh chopped and pitted xx cherries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 ounces of cream cheese

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 cup heavy cream

In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press on to bottom of an ungreased pie plate.

Bake at 350° F. for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add the partially set, about 1 ½ hours.

In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add vanilla and salt.

In another mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream. When stiff peaks form, then fold in the cream cheese mixture.

Layer the dessert, starting at the bottom with some of the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture then add a layer of the cherries. Repeat layers. Top with whipping cream.

Refrigerate overnight.