Posted by Salem News, MA on October 28, 2009 at 09:49:29:
Blue-ribbon bread
Bakers rise to the occasion for Topsfield Fair contest
By Jennesa Regios
Correspondent
TOPSFIELD — When Donna Ryan opened the oven and pulled out the warm bread stuffed with apples and cranberries, she just knew.
Ryan called her husband over to admire the perfectly browned, perfectly braided bread.
"Look at this!" she said. "We have a contender!"
Not only did she have a contender — she had a winner.
Ryan's Festive Holiday Cranberry Almond Bread Braid won first place in the kneaded bread category at the Topsfield Fair's Fleischmann's Yeast "Bake for the Cure" Baking Contest.
"This is a recipe I found and adapted very little," the Topsfield resident said. "This one was just perfect."
It was Ryan's third year competing at the fair, and she is no stranger to ribbons. She has competed locally and nationally, and now has seven ribbons from the fair alone.
For Ryan, the greatest part of baking, besides the comfort of kneading a soft dough, is the fellow bakers she has met, who become both her great friends and greatest competitors.
Jannine Fisk of Malden is one baker Ryan always aims to beat.
"She's fabulous," Ryan said. "If I've beaten Jannine, it's a real feather in my cap."
She also submitted a recipe to the "Make it with Malt-O-Meal" competition this year: She built a brain out of puffed wheat and covered it in gummy worms. But it turns out the judges were looking for something a little more serious.
"I figured this would either be the first one to win or (the judges would say), 'Get this crap out of here!'" Ryan said.
For Ryan, cooking competitions are about the creativity and the camaraderie. She enjoys when everyone stands together, waiting for the judges to announce the winner. Because even when she doesn't place, a friend usually does, and that makes Ryan just as happy.
Winning recipes from the topsfield fair
Fleischmann's Yeast "Bake for the Cure" Baking Contest
First-place winner: DONNA RYAN, TOPSFIELD
FESTIVE HOLIDAY CRANBERRY ALMOND BREAD BRAID
1 package Fleischmann's RapidRise active dry yeast
1 c. warm fat-free milk (110’ to 115’)
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
31/2-4 c. all-purpose flour
FILLING
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
4 c. thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples
2/3 c. dried cranberries
1 egg
1 T. water
ICING
1 c. confectioners' sugar
4 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. dried cranberries
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk.
Add sugar, butter, egg, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and cider. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in apples; cook 5-10 minutes longer or until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat; stir in cranberries.
Cool to room temperature.
Punch dough down; roll into a 15-inch-by-12-inch rectangle. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Spread filling lengthwise down center of dough.
On each long side, cut 1-inch-wide strips 3 inches into center.
Fold strips at an angle across filling; seal ends.
Cover and let rise until doubled.
Beat egg and water; brush over dough.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Combine confectioners' sugar, water and extract; drizzle over loaf.
Sprinkle with cranberries and almonds.
Yield: 1 loaf (24 slices)
Fleischmann's Yeast "Bake for the Cure" Baking Contest
First-place winner, battered bread category:
SHERYL JAMES, DANVERS
CARAMEL BAKED APPLE BREAD
BATTER
13/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 envelopes Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
2 T. butter, melted
TOPPING
1 c. chopped golden delicious apple
1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
1/4 c. coconut
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping
ICING
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
Mix batter ingredients and let rise for 15 minutes. Place in an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish.
Top batter with chopped apples and slightly push into batter. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, pecans and coconut.
Evenly space spoonfuls of caramel sauce.
Using a spoon, swirl caramel sauce into batter.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned and firm in center.
Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship
First-place winner: DENISE LAROCHE, HUDSON, N.H.
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BLISS
Cake
1 c. self-rising flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter (softened at room temperature)
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate whip topping
1/2 c. Ghirardelli Natural Unsweetened Cocoa
1 c. sugar
2 c. cold whipping cream
Chocolate curls
4 oz. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
1 pint fresh Raspberries
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg with handheld whisk or electric mixer. Add flour, milk and beat to a smooth batter. Fold in Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cooling completely.
Whipped topping
In large metal bowl or standing mixer bowl, stir together Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa and sugar. Add whipping cream and beat on medium speed with electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff.
Chocolate Curls
Place wrapped Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bar on top of a warm stove toward the back (not on a burner) for about 2-3 minutes, just to lightly soften it. Place a cutting board half way over a large bowl and place unwrapped chocolate slightly over edge of cutting board. Drag a sharp vegetable peeler down one side of the chocolate in one motion from top to bottom so you create curl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Place cooled cake on serving plate. Place raspberries on top of cake and top with whipped chocolate topping. Gently tip bowl of chocolate curls over whipped topping. Place a few raspberries in center. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
8 servings
Make it with Malt-O-Meal Recipe Contest
First-place winner: SUSAN LAWRENCE, PEABODY
TOOTIE FRUITIECONFETTI CAKE
CAKE
12 large egg whites (room temperature)
11/2 c. sugar
1 c. sifted cake flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. ground Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruities cereal
FROSTING
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
8 tsp. cold water
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. marshmallow cream
1/2 c. ground Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruities cereal
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
CAKE
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together æ sugar and cake flour. Set aside.
Beat 12 egg whites until frothy, add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar one tablespoon at a time while beating. Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat for a few seconds to evenly distribute.
Sift flour-sugar mixture over egg whites in 8-10 additions and gently fold it after each addition. Gently fold in the Tootie Fruities. Spoon batter into a 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool completely with the pan inverted.
Gently run a knife around the sides to release the cake.
FROSTING
Combine gelatin and cold water in a small saucepan. Let stand until thick. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Whip cream and vanilla until lightly thickened. While beating, gradually add gelatin to whipped cream mixture. Beat at high speed until stiff. Fold in marshmallows, Tootie Fruities, and lemon juice.
Decorate with º cup ground Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruities cereal sprinkled over frosted cake.
Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts Pie Baking Contest
First-place winner: DONNA M. BUCKLAND, BILLERICA
CRANBERRY-RAISIN MAPLE-NUT PIE
Filling
1 box of Pillsbury rolled pie crusts
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. golden raisins
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
3/4 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. half & half cream
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
Crumb top crust
3 large and 3 small leaf cut-outs using second crust (any pattern desired)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
balance of remainder of second crust (cut up in small pieces with scissors)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place bottom crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Using second pie crust, cut out leaf patterns. Set aside. In small bowl combine 1/4 cup nuts, 1/3 cup brown sugar and balance of top crust. Cut up with scissors. (Will look like crumb topping.) In a large saucepan, combine white chocolate chips, syrup and brown sugar. Heat until just melted and smooth. Add half & half and eggs. Stir until well-blended. Add cranberries, raisins and nuts. Pour mixture into pie dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping, place cut-outs on top of crumb topping. Place in oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees then reduce to 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely
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