Area Family Does Well in Fair Food Competition

When the Eddy family participated this year at recent Fowlerville Family Fair, everyone was involved.

Dad Scott was a clerk for the food judging and mom Sandy and 17-year-old Chris were standing right by for support as competitors, Carmen, 15, Noelle, 13, and Tommy, 12, waited their turns in the judging line. All three belong to the Hartland area Ranger 4-H group, the closest club to the family’s Genoa Township home. 

Overall, it was a successful competition. Tommy, who said he enjoyed making this first big project, learned a valuable lesson; his “monkey bread,” called Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread in the recipe he obtained from the Kraft Foods website, was supposed to use homemade dough. He used store-bought biscuit dough instead.

Tommy wasn’t discouraged, though, and, as the tasty treat was being devoured by everyone within reach, he plans to make it again. He earned a ‘B’ or red ribbon for his efforts.

Mom Sandy said “It was quite a process. He did a great job.”

Noelle, who made French Silk Chocolate Pie, received an ‘A’ (blue) ribbon along with a judge’s award. She picked it for the best of reasons: “I like chocolate.” She also added her own decorative touch: a garnish consisting of a Hershey’s Kiss in the center with mint leaves around it.

Carmen’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie took Best of Show as well as an ‘A’ (blue) ribbon.

“I tasted it one day, fell in love with it and decided to make it,” she said. "Then I started growing rhubarb and decided to make it for the show. I’ve made it a few times now.”

She has a tip: “If the dough gets too sticky, dust very lightly with flour and refrigerate for 30 minutes.”

Both girls, who were in their third year of participating in the food competition, got their recipes on Cooks.com; in fact, they used the same pie crust recipe, called Beginner’s Easy Pie Crust.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

What You Need

3 cans (7.5 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk

Make It

Heat oven to 350°F.

1. Cut each biscuit into quarters.

2. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add biscuit pieces, in batches; toss to coat.

3. Place half the biscuit pieces in greased 12-cup fluted tube pan; drizzle with half the butter. Repeat. Sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar. Bake 40 to 45 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min.; invert onto serving plate. Remove pan.

4. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in small bowl with mixer until well blended. Add 1 Tbsp. milk; beat until well blended. Blend in enough of the remaining milk until glaze is of desired consistency. Drizzle over warm bread.

This recipe Tommy used is from Kraftfoods.com.

French Silk Chocolate Pie I

What You Need

½ cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
2 1-ounce square unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 prepared pastry shell (see Beginner’s Easy Pie Crust recipe)

Make It

Pie filling:

Cream butter in mixing bowl.

Gradually beat in sugar with electric mixer until light-colored. 

Stir in cooled chocolate and vanilla. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium after each addition. 

Spoon chocolate filling into cooled pie shell. 

Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Recipe Noelle used is from Cooks.com.

Beginner’s Easy Pie Crust

What You Need

1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
8 ounces (1/2 pound) butter flavored Crisco (or plain)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup cold water
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Make It

Combine flour and salt in a bowl until well mixed. Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut in Crisco until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (some chunks can remain).

Beat egg in a separate small bowl; add water and vinegar and stir until mixed.

Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir all together using a large spoon or by hand.

Press mixture into a ball and roll it out on a sheet of wax paper until about 1/2-inch thick. Place another sheet of wax paper over the top and roll until 1/8-inch thickness. If dough is too sticky, dust very lightly with flour and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the top sheet of paper and invest the crust onto an ungreased pie pan. Do not stretch the dough; drape it in the pan loosely. Neaten the edges using scissors or a sharp knife.

Repeat rolling for the top crust, and after you fill the pie with your favorite filling, place the top over the filling and crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom crusts together.

Flute the edges by pressing ridges between your thumb and forefinger, or simply press the edge of the pie with the tines of a fork.

Decorate the top of the pie with any extra bits of dough, if desired, forming leaves, berries, stems, etc. Or the top of the pie can be a lattice if you cut the dough into strips and weave them over the filling. Another decorative edge is a rope edge, which is simply two thin strings of dough twisted to make a rope and arranged over the edge.

Use this pie crust for any recipe that calls for homemade (or store bought) pie crust.

This pie crust doesn't make a flaky crust, but it's good for beginning pie makers because it's easy to handle and roll out.

This recipe, which both Carmen and Noelle used, is from Cooks.com.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling

What You Need

1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups rhubarb
3 cups strawberries
2 pie crusts
1 egg white

Make It

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix sugar, flour and nutmeg together.

Stir in eggs.

Fold in rhubarb and strawberries.

Pour in one pie crust (already set into the pan).

Place the other pie crust on top .

Cut slits into top.

Brush top crust with egg white and bake 50-60 minutes.

This filling recipe Carmen used also is from Cooks.com