Tag: Blue Ribbon Group

Bake Your Best for the 2021 Minnesota State Fair

Calling all Blue Ribbon Foodies & Minnesota State Fair Lovers!!

Hit the kitchen and let’s bake together for the Great Minnesota Get-Back-Together! To celebrate the official return of our hometown Minnesota State Fair in 2021, the Blue Ribbon Group is sponsoring four special baking contests at the Minnesota State Fair including:

  • Best Banana Bread
  • Best Fruit Pie
  • Best Drop Cookie
  • Best Coconut Cake

Cash Prizes & Kudos

For this “Blue Ribbon Baking Day” at the fair, we’ve organized $175 in prizes for each competition, plus there will be special recognition for blue ribbon winners across several broader baking categories: Cookies, Cakes, Pies, and Breads. Don’t miss this treasured tradition that hundreds of Minnesotans take part in every year. You’ll rub elbows with like-minded home cooks and hobby bakers on “baking drop-off day” and once the fair opens see what wins in display cases throughout the Creative Activities Building. The experience is also a wonderful warm-up for the upcoming holiday baking season.

Special Thanks to our prize partner, King Arthur Baking Company. 

King Arthur Baking Company

Blue Ribbon Baking Contest Series: Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 9:30am – 1pm (Competitors: Sign Up by Aug 10, 4:30pm)

All registration goes through the Minnesota State Fair competition department. Registration is free! There’s also no obligation if you later can’t participate. Go to the Competitions/Creative Activities/Baked Products section at MNStateFair.org to sign up (under the Participants tab). Three quick-start tips:

  • Create your online account here
  • For step-by-step guidance, go here.
  • Sign up for the Competition Department email list here and be sure to choose “Creative Activities” as your email list.

Best Drop Cookies Blue Ribbon Cake Blue Ribbon Pie: Blueberry Rhubarb Strawberry Pie Best Banana Bread

 

Sign Up!   *********************Registration is Closed; Stay Tuned for Follow-Up Posts **************************************

  • Registration is open now. It closes August 10 at 4:30pm. No late registrations are allowed so don’t miss the deadline
  • Registration is FREE
  • You drop off your entry the Saturday before the fair opens, so it’s easy in, easy out. Drop off is 9:30am to 1pm on Saturday, August 21. You can even have a friend drop it off if you can’t make it
  • Open to Minnesota residents only

If you are on social media, be sure to follow BLUE RIBBBON FOODIES on Instagram or Facebook (or both =). Help us grow. Like and comment on what you see there. Save and share your favorite posts. Also, stay tuned here for inspiration and award-winning recipes from Minnesota and across the country.

Want to see all the official rules? Download them here.

Good luck. We’ll be cheering for you all!

Cyndi & Crystal (aka The Blue Ribbon Group & Blue Ribbon Foodies)

Fennel Seed Pie Crust

If you’re looking for a flavorful savory pie crust recipe, look no further than this Fennel Seed Pie Crust. The flavor is unforgettable. Also, the recipe is easy and forgiving, which makes it a no-fail pie crust. Use it for tomato tarts like our Fresh Tomato & Fontina Cheese Tart, or other types of pie-themed main dishes.

Preparation Tips

  • I love my mortar and pestle. The fragrance you immediately smell with crushing any herb is delightful. However, a spice grinder (like this one, from Walmart), can be a big time saver. I buy bigger batches of whole spices because they stay fresh longer, meaning, they hold their bright flavors and scents longer when I blend them just before using. You’ll love how your kitchen smells when grinding spices.
  • Brushing the crust mid-bake is important as it creates a seal on the crust to seal in its moisture and help prevent sogginess when you add toppings. You won’t need the whole egg white but be generous with brushing it on.
  • The recipe is for preparing the crust for a short bake with its toppings. Shorten or lengthen the time as needed based on what you’re featuring, i.e. thicker cheeses, partially cooked meats, etc.
  • Cover the crust edges if needed to prevent overbrowning or burning.

Fennel Seed Pie Crust

 

  • A 9-inch tart pan gives you a thick crust. It’s what we used in our test runs. You can, however, go up to a 12-inch tart pan; just reduce the baking time appropriately.

I hope you enjoy this Fennel Seed Pie Crust as much as we did. Put it in your baking plans today!

 

-Cyndi

 

 

Homemade Corndogs

If you need a corndog fix until your next state fair experience, cook hot homemade corndogs with this best-ever recipe. You’ll love it.

To make these savory treats, you mix a batter that combines flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, with cornmeal, butter, milk, and an egg.  You dip hotdogs in the batter, and fry them in hot oil. Delicious!

Corndogs are always the first food I get at the fair and I confess, it’s often for breakfast. Don’t judge me, I’m often at the Minnesota State Fair for promotions and events first thing in the morning, so the timing fits the bill. On a stick, a footlong or classic size, they are the quintessential state fair treat. You can walk and talk while you munch away. The crispy exterior tastes a bit like cornbread, just slightly sweet. Put a savory hot dog in the center of that and you’ve got a winning combination.

Since we are all about home baking and cooking, we usually leave the state fair food creations to the vendors, pro chefs/restaurants and cookbook authors. We decided to make an exception since this is simply the best corndog recipe ever!!! It came from my good friend Joyce who shared her mother’s family recipe. With a couple minor modifications, it has become our “go to” recipe for everyone’s favorite food on a stick. Here are some tips for perfect homemade corndogs.

Tips for Top Notch Corndogs

  • Use this recipe…duh =)
  • Buy good quality hot dogs
  • Make the batter thick, but not overly so; you want it like a hefty pancake batter
  • Pat those dogs completely dry; do this and the flour and batter really stick well to the dogs
  • Use an oil like canola because it has a high smoke point; it won’t create smoke at high temperature
  • Make sure the oil is good and hot before you make the plunge. 350 to 375 degrees F
  • Use enough oil so there’s almost no temperature change when you add the dipped dog
  • Cool, strain and save the oil for making another batch on another day

We filtered the cooled oil through a clean coffee filter in a sieve and refrigerated to reuse. It keeps the corndog flavor and seemed to heighten the cornmeal taste, which we loved.

Also, you can easily adapt this recipe into mini size or bite size poppers. Simply cut the dogs to preferred size and skip the sticks. You can use toothpicks if you want to keep with the “on a stick” theme. We even tried them with cocktail size dogs. All delicious.

Looking for more state fair foods to cook at home? Be sure to get George Geary’s Fair Food cookbook. It has a ton of fun recipes. Also, many restaurants and food trucks have cheese curds and corndog appetizers. So you have lots of options until your next local fair opens. Enjoy!

-Cyndi

Note: This is an edited re-post from our sister website, StateFairRecipes.com

 

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

These loaded Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with deliciousness. They have Oreos and Golden Grahams cereal, both finely chopped, granulated in fact, in a food processor. They also have sea salt which makes each bite pop with tastiness. While we need no excuse to bake, THIS weekend is THE ideal weekend to make these. Not only is Saturday is National Oreo Cookie Day (March 6), but Sunday is also National Cereal Day (March 7). These cookies are super easy to bake also, as in, a prep time of 15 minutes. And you’re going to love their taste and texture.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies Stacked

Marvelous Mix Ins

In addition to Oreos and Golden Grahams, they have chopped caramels, toffee bits, and two different sized chocolate chips. And they are another blue ribbon winning recipe. I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with these cookies. I’ve skipped the caramel and upped the toffee bits. I’ve also done the reverse, skipping the toffee and increasing the caramel. I’ve also done versions with chocolate chunks instead of chips. All of them, completely delicious.

Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies Close Up

Blue Ribbon Bragging Rights

Recipe credit for these Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies goes to Michelle Pontbriant. She won her blue ribbon and bragging rights at the Big E Fair in Springfield, Massachusetts. She won a Gold Medal Flour cookie contest with this creation back in 2016. I recall her being a runner and having an “aha moment” when on a run one day, to puree the cookies and cereal together. They give the cookie a terrific tasting texture. You get a bit of caramel, toffee, and chocolate in every bite.

These are such a tasty twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie. Bake these soon my fellow blue ribbon foodies!

Cyndi

p.s. If you’re a fan of Golden Grahams, you should also try these Peanut Butter S’more No-Bake Cookies. They have the same cereal in them.

 

Pistachio Lemon Butter Cookies

These Pistachio Lemon Butter Cookies bring three things together I adore: citrus, butter and my favorite nut, the pistachio.

With a triple threat of fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract, these cookies burst with citrus flavor. Using all three of those ingredients together is the ticket. Put that in a rich butter cookie and I’m in love at first bite. A schmear of white chocolate lemon frosting on top adds another delightful dimension. You finish them with a sprinkling of extra pistachios. That texture contrast is a joyful experience. To be honest though, I have skipped the frosting before as they are delicious enough to stand alone. Unfrosted, they also stack well for transporting and storage.

Pistachio Lemon Butter Cookies overhead

Recipe credit goes to Denise Sokolowski who won a best cookie contest with it at the Wisconsin State Fair (2016). She came in second place, just behind those great Guinness Chocolate Cookies we previously shared.

These Pistachio Lemon Butter Cookies are perfect for celebrating National Pistachio Day – February 26, but you don’t need any excuse. Bake them any day of the year. The batch is pretty big. It made 60 cookies. What’s great about that is you can freeze the rolled balls of dough, in a single layer so they don’t stick together. Just bring them to room temperature before putting them in the oven. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do.

Cheers-

Cyndi

 

Sweet Savory Pear Dessert Pizza

This Sweet-Savory Pear Dessert Pizza features an unexpected ingredient combination that works deliciously.

Sweet Meets Savory Ingredient Combination

There’s cream cheese and brown sugar, as well as onion, bacon, and pecans, plus a mix of provolone and mozzarella cheese. The gorgonzola cheese is key. It is buttery and has a bite to it. Pair all that with the sweetness of fruit and honey, and you’ve got an amazing, unique, and award-winning dessert. In fact, this “best recipe” won 1st place at the Minnesota State Fair. It’s another all-time favorite from our archives.

Sweet Savory Pear Dessert Pizza Sliced

Recipe credit goes to Lynda Decker. She won the “best dessert pizza” that Fleischmann’s Yeast sponsored back in 2013. One of her tips is to try a flavored honey like raspberry honey, which she got at a Minnesota farmer’s market.

Delicious Crust, Creative Toppings

You start with an easy homemade pizza crust that you brush with butter and brown sugar. Make the dough ahead of time (two hours before baking or the day before). You par-bake the crust then add your toppings: a cream-cheese-brown-sugar layer, pear slices, onion, bacon, and two cheeses, including that slightly funky gorgonzola. You finish it with pecans and a drizzle of honey. Altogether it is a lot of ingredients, but wait until you taste it! Wow.

I was blown away when I first tasted this Sweet-Savory Pear Dessert Pizza. It is both creative and tantalizing to taste. This is a must make for any cheese lovers out there, as well as any foodies that like complex flavors, texture contrasts and surprising ingredient combinations.

Blue Ribbon Winning Recipe

At judging, long-time Minnesota State Fair Judge Mary Bartz shared her expert opinion about this pizza. (This pizza recipe has) a powerful combination…a savory and fruity sweet topping over a thin, tender, yet chewy crust…a dynamic result!

Be sure to bake this one up soon!

-Cyndi

Note: This is an edited repost from our former website, StateFairRecipes.com.

Triple Lemon Citrus Cookies

Made with Meyer lemons in three parts—lemon curd, cookie, and icing—these Triple Lemon Citrus Cookies are immensely bright and flavorful! You will delight in their fresh and rich taste.

Triple Lemon Citrus Cookies-Close Up

Bursting with Lemony Flavor

Fresh lemon juice and zest go into each part of these Triple Lemon Citrus Cookies. The cookie portion itself is super simple to make. It bursts with lemony goodness, even before you add the lemon icing and lemon curd on top.

The dough ingredients include both butter and coconut oil, which together, give the cookie a light but not overly delicate texture. You use vanilla bean paste and a tish of salt in the dough also, so the cookie’s lemon essence blooms with every bite. If you do not have access to vanilla bean paste or whole vanilla beans to scrape out the paste, use a pure extract instead. Chilling the dough a short time makes it easier to roll out.

Lovely Limoncello Liqueur

Limoncello goes into the curd. If you’re like me and don’t normally have that lovely Italian liqueur around, buy the tiny sized bottles (like those served on airplanes). I try to keep some on hand for recipes like this, or for when a craving comes on. on. Any time I smell or taste limoncello, I daydream of sitting in a flower garden in Italy, sipping a glass of it while sunbeams and the liqueur warm me inside and out. In fact, the scent of lemon itself is enough to fill me with sunshine.

Make Ahead, Make Extra

Last tips: I like to make the lemon curd ahead of time…and usually in a double batch. As a result, I have extra to use in other ways and I don’t feel rushed waiting for the mixture to cook and thicken. If you don’t want to take on homemade from scratch lemon curd at this time, there are jar/pre-made options like Dickenson’s and other, available in most grocery stores.

Recipe credit goes to Rozanne Gooding who won with them at the San Diego County Fair (2013).

I hope you make these citrus sweet treats soon…and enjoy them as much as I do.

-Cyndi

 

Chocolate Orange Coffee Crinkles

These Chocolate Orange Coffee Crinkles have both cocoa powder and dark baking chocolate in them. Their fudge-like flavor will satisfy all those choco-holics out there. Chocolate crinkle cookies are classic, but this recipe reinvents them into something unforgettable. With the surprise additions of orange juice, orange zest, and instant espresso powder, this cookie turns into a multi-dimensional, complex, and completely scrumptious sweet treat. They are an utter delight to eat.

Holiday Chocolate Crinkles

Since you roll the balls of dough in powdered and granulated sugar, they “crack” open as they bake to show off the chocolate inside. This crinkle effect also gives them a distinctly festive and fun appearance. You are going to want to bake these winning cookies again and again, for the holidays or ANY time of year. They pair great with coffee, so wow your friends next time you invite them over for a cup of java.

Betty Crocker and blue ribbon recipes from our archives were the inspiration for these Chocolate Orange Coffee Crinkles. We started with Betty’s Chocolate Crinkle recipe,  added butter, upped the chocolate ingredients, changed from white to brown sugar, and made a few other modifications. We also looked closely at some orange chai crinkles that won at 2013 Washington State Fair. Since we’re huge citrus fans, we decided to showcase the orange flavor with the zest of an orange, plus its fresh-squeezed juice. Wow! After some test runs and tweaks, this has become a huge favorite. You can easily change up the flavors by changing the extracts. A raspberry version was popular around here also. We simply left out the orange elements, and used a raspberry extract and extra vanilla.

Chocolate Orange Coffee Crinkles, stacked

Top tip with these chocolate orange coffee crinkles: Be careful not to over bake. They should be moist and fudgy. No one likes a dry cookie that’s supposed to be rich and tender. Also, for an intense chocolate flavor, be sure to use a 70% cacao dark baking chocolate. We used Ghirardelli and loved the chocolatey taste it gave the cookie.

If you want more holiday themed recipes, check out this shortbread and this pound cake.

Enjoy!

-Cyndi

 

Blue Ribbon Lemon Meringue Pie

Quite a while back we tested some recipes in a vintage cookbook and discovered this fantastic Blue Ribbon Lemon Meringue Pie. The “cookbook” was more of a booklet but a wonderful recipe roundup, none the less. The publication was titled, “Great State Fair Recipes…A Collection of Minnesota State Fair Sweepstakes-Winning Recipes from 1906 to 1975.” What a find this gem was!

State Fair Vintage Cookbook

Cakes, cookies and breads (three highly popular categories at fairs) make up most of the booklet’s collection, all with Minnesota State Fair roots. We found the blue ribbon lemon meringue pie in the “church recipe” section. It is a tried and true recipe, sure to become a family favorite.

Blue Ribbon Lemon Meringue Pie 2

We tweaked the recipe a bit, using only shortening for the crust versus half butter and half lard, plus added salt to the filling. The pie came out perfectly.

That testing day was a year or two ago. Somehow the pics and recipe kept getting set aside instead of posted, so my apologies. Here it finally is!

Blue Ribbon Lemon Meringue Pie Slice

If you love lemon and meringue, this is a great “go to” recipe. For another citrus sweet treat, check out this other favorite of our here. It is an epic recipe and also quite easy to make.

One last note, if you are one to make MANY pies at a time, which many of you are, I now have a recipe that makes 40 pie crusts. Yes it’s true. It was in this same recipe publication. If you ever need 40 pies crusts at once, just drop me a line!

Cyndi

 

Blue Ribbon Fresh Herb Olive Nut Bread

Fresh Herb Olive Nut Bread: If you want a flavorful bread that wows people and is easy to make, bake this blue ribbon winning bread.

From fresh garlic, shallots, and chives, to basil, dill weed, and oregano, this bread incorporates them all, and more. You can change up the herbs based on your favorites and what’s on hand. That makes this dough so versatile. Love dill? Use more of it. Or switch to rosemary if that’s what you’re craving.

Last year we had the opportunity to test, tweak and photograph a big batch of bread recipes for a client. This blue ribbon-winning Fresh Herb Olive Nut Bread was a stand out. In fact, we are still drooling over its flavors.

Slather it with some great butter on it and it’s a double wow! I brought the bread to a wine and cheese party and it was an absolute hit! The only bummer was no leftovers to have as toast in the morning.

Recipe credit goes to Susan Erickson, who won her blue ribbon at the Seattle-Tacoma area Washington State Fair, aka the Puyallup Fair (2016). She won best bread in a themed recipe contest supported by Fleischmann’s Yeast.

Blue Ribbon Winner Tips

When she won, Susan shared that for most of her baking years, she was been known for her desserts. She only baked her first breads in 2014. Once she had the basics down though, she was hooked! Those basics were knowing when the yeast was working (thumbs up if you see the foam) and handling the dough (flour helps and not over-kneading). Winning first place at the state fair was a big feather in her cap and a cherished experience. Like many so many blue ribbon foodies, this built on her life-long passion for all things delicious.

Susan shared this great baking tip: she buys only one 5 pound bag of flour at a time. “This way, I always have only the freshest flour on hand,” she noted, and added that it makes a subtle but big difference.

Try this blue ribbon fresh herb olive nut bread and you will have a winner on the table too!

Wanting More?

Stay tuned for some fabulous focaccia breads….coming soon!

Got a sweet tooth? Try this Pumpkin Pull-Apart Monkey Bread