Thank you for sharing the champion exhibitors and their recipes from the 4-H Foods Division at the Douglas County Free Fair. Would you also share the reserve champions?

It’s fun to see the different types of food products that received the top placings. Dylan Schumann, of the Stull Busy Beavers 4-H Club received the Reserve Champion Nonperishable Food Product in the 7- to 8-year-old group for his brownies. The other winners were: Leslie Queen, Lone Star 4-H Club, 9- to-11-year-old group, Danish Cherry Braid; Courtney Harris, Pioneers 4-H Club, 12- to-14-year-old group, Cherry Chiffon Cake; and Nichole Reiske, Cottonwood 4-H Club, 15- to 19-year-old group, Pear Dumplings. Courtney’s recipe was featured in last week’s column, but here are the other award-winning recipes:

Brownies

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4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup butter

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

Nuts optional

In a mixing bowl, cream the eggs and sugar together. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the batter. Stir in nuts. Pour into a well-greased 8-by-8-inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

Danish Cherry Braid Quick Method Danish Pastry

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3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chilled, unsalted butter

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water, 110 to 115 degrees

1/2 cup heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed cardamom seed (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

Cherry Cinnamon Filling:

2 cups water

2 cups snipped, dried tart cherries

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

Measure 3 1/2 cups flour into a bowl, or into the work bowl of a food processor with the steel blade in place. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch slices and add to the flour. Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs and sugar. Turn the flour/butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula, mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, overnight, or up to 4 days. Divide dough in half. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour. Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch square. Fold into thirds making three layers. Turn dough around and roll out again. Fold the short sides into thirds. This should result in a perfect square. Repeat the folding and rolling again if you wish. Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

For the cherry filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boiling; remove from heat. Add cherries; let stand 5 minutes. Drain, squeezing to remove excess water.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly.

Roll out dough into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Put cinnamon filling down center of dough. Sprinkle cherries on top of cinnamon filling. Cut slanting strips at 3/4-inch intervals along both sides up toward the center using a fluted pastry wheel. Fold strips over the filling in a crisscross manner. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let rise from 15 to 30 minutes, just until the pastry appears puffy. It will not double. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with almond glaze.

Almond Glaze: In small bowl, stir together 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons light-colored corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Stir in enough evaporated, half-and-half, or light cream (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make drizzling consistency. If desired, stir a few drops red food coloring into the glaze.

Source: The Great Scandinavian Baking Book and Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book.

Pear Dumplings

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1 recipe Pâte Brisee

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

8 poached pears, chilled and drained

4 teaspoons cold butter

1 large egg with 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Pâte Brisee (Pie Dough):

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add 1 cup butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Roll out pastry to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out eight squares measuring approximately 8 by 8 inches. Cut a triangle with roughly equal sides from each square and set aside. Cut as many leaves as possible out of the remaining pastry either by hand with a sharp knife or with a leaf-shaped cutter. Keep all pastry covered and chilled until ready to use.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Core each poached pear carefully from the bottom to just within 3/4 inch of top; leave stem intact. Holding pear upside down, fill with some of the sugar mixture and dots of butter. Place center of pastry triangle on pear bottom, then turn so pear is right side up. Bring edges together, moisten with water, and pinch to seal. Decorate dumplings as desired by pasting leaves on with water. Keep stems free of pastry. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill if pastry has softened.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush each dumpling with egg glaze and bake until puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Makes 8.

Source: Martha Stewart’s Holidays.