Q: Thanks for sharing the champion 4-H foods recipes last week from the Douglas County Fair. It’s always great to get some tried and true recipes for baked goods. Would you also share the reserve champions?

A: Sure! It’s fun to see the different types of food products that received the top placings. For the 7- to 8-year-olds, the Reserve Champion Non-Perishable Food Product was awarded to Michela Oxford, from the Clinton Eagles 4-H Club, for her Carrot Cake. Jordan Ballack, Eudora 4-H Club, received Reserve Champion at the 9- to 11-year-old level with his Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. In the 12- to 14-year-old class, JoAnna Male, also from the Eudora 4-H Club, was Reserve Champion for her Cinnamon Rolls. The Italian Dinner Rolls made by Joshua Lesser of the Stull Busy Beavers 4-H Club was awarded the 15- to 19-year-old Reserve Champion ribbon. Here are the recipes. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as the judges did!

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded carrots

Vanilla Glaze:

1/3 cup butter or margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 to 4 tablespoons hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pan. Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until blended; beat 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients except carrots; beat 1 minute. Stir in carrots. Pour into pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

For Vanilla Glaze: Heat butter in 1 1/2 quart saucepan until melted. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth with consistency of thick syrup. Pour glaze on cake.

Source: “Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook”

Lemon Poppy seed Bundt

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, extracts and flavoring. Add poppy seeds to liquids and stir. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Beat on low for 30 seconds to moisten. Continue beating on medium for 2 additional minutes. Pour into a greased and floured (or waxed paper) loaf pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely before icing with a powdered sugar glaze.

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, warmed

1 stick butter, partially melted

Cinnamon rolls

Dry Mixture:

3 cups flour (bread or all-purpose)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 packages active dry yeast

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups sugar

Add buttermilk and butter to dry mixture and mix, either with mixer or stir by hand. Add an additional 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour to get pliable dough (not too wet, not too dry). Knead for a few minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in warm, draft-free place. Gather cookie sheets with sides, line with aluminum foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Turn dough out onto counter, divide in half. Roll each half into 10-by-14-inch rectangles. Spread each rectangle with 1/2 stick of butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll up each rectangle, slice rolls about 1-inch thick. Press each roll into cinnamon-sugar mixture, both sides, and place onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 1 inch between rolls. Let rise and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.

Italian Dinner rolls

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 cup warm milk

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in butter, milk, sugar, egg, parsley, onion powder, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Add 2 cups flour and beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 3 to 5 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a well-greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan or space farther apart on a 12-by-17-inch greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes. Bake at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Upon removal from the oven, immediately coat each roll with butter.

Yields 16 rolls.

Source: Best of Country Breads