"Make It With Sugar" Contest Winners

Raspberry-Strawberry Crème Macarons

(First Place Cookies – Amariah Hier)

1 cup confectioners sugar

¾ cup almond flour (ground almonds)

2 large egg whites

pinch of cream of tartar

¼ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Reduce speed, gradually add sugar. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

Sift flour and powdered sugar over whites. Fold together with rubber spatula using short strokes. Use bigger folds once incorporated. When ready, batter should fall from spatula in ribbons.

Transfer mixture to piping bag. Pipe 1" or 1 ½" rounds on parchment lined baking sheets.

Let sit for 15 minutes to form crust. Decrease oven temperature to 325º just before baking in oven. Bake 10 minutes rotating halfway through. Increase to 375º then decrease to 325º just before second baking sheet goes in. Fill with crème if serving immediately, if not they can store in freezer up to 3 months.

Tip: Add 3 or 4 minutes baking time if not growing "feet" and if they still look soft and not crusty.

Crème Filling

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ pint of raspberries or sliced strawberries

Place cream cheese in the bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Whip until fluffy. Pour in whipping cream and beat on medium speed, gradually add sugar until stiff peaks are achieved.

Spoon onto one cookie with sliced strawberries or raspberries. Add a small drop to other cookie and sandwich together.

Zucchini Pudding Bread

(First Place Breads & Rolls – Teresa Pedersen)

1¾ cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 (3 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding

Sift together in bowl, set aside.

2 eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup (packed) light brown sugar

Beat together in large bowl. Add sifted dry ingredients and beat well.

Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 cups grated zucchini.

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour 9" x 5" loaf pan. Pour dough into prepared pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Rhu-Berry Pie

(First Place Pie – Carli Karren)

1 ½ cups sliced rhubarb

1 cup white sugar

5 tablespoons flour

2 cups sliced strawberries

6 oz. container of blackberries

2 pie crusts

Combine rhubarb, strawberries and blackberries with sugar and flour. Let sit as you roll out your pie crusts. Line a pie tin with 1 crust. Spoon pie filling into crust. Use a round piping tip (big and little side) to make a circle pattern across the pie topper. Place on pie. Using leaf cookie cutters, cut out leaves and adorn the top of the pie. Sprinkle with milk or cream and top with a thin coat of sugar to sweeten up the crust. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes. Then cover edges so they won't get too brown and cook again for another 20-30 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is a golden brown color.

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

(First Place Other – Nikole LeFors)

1 lb. raw almonds

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg white

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 250º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt in large Ziploc bag. Whisk the egg white, vanilla and water with a fork until frothy. Add the almonds to the egg white mixture and stir until well coated. Pour the pecans into the Ziploc bag, seal and shake until well coated with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Spread on baking sheet into a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Peanut Brittle

(First Place Candy – Nikole LeFors)

3 cups sugar

1 cup white sugar

1½ cups cold water

Place these 3 ingredients in a heavy pan and cover. After mixture has boiled 1 to 2 minutes, long enough to steam. Uncover and boil to softball stage.

Add 2 cups unshelled raw peanuts and 4 tablespoons butter.

Stir constantly until it reaches hard crack stage or turns light brown. Remove from stove and add 2 teaspoons soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and pinch of salt. Pour out on board, let cool just enough to handle, then stretch!

Oatmeal Cake

(First Place Cake – Nikole LeFors)

1½ cups boiling water

1 cup quick oats

½ cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

Pour boiling water over oats; let stand 10 minutes. Cream shortening and sugars, beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, spices and soda. Add oats. Bake in 9x13 pan for 30 minutes at 350º.

Frosting

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Boil together 10 minutes stirring constantly. Add 1 cup coconut and ½ cup chopped walnuts. Spread over warm cake.

Carol's Carrot Cake

(People's Choice – Carolina Sanchez)

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup walnuts (optional)

3 cups grated carrots

Mix together and then add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into angel food cake pan and bake in preheated oven at 350º for 45-60 minutes. Top with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. stick butter (room temperature)

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar sifted

Pumpkin Bread

(Reynolds Food Club Drawing Winner – Denise Golubski)

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

3 cups granulated sugar

2½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoon. baking soda

1½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon ginger

Mix first 5 ingredients until thoroughly incorporated. Whisk all dry ingredients together and add to wet and mix well. Pour into 3 8x4 loaf pans and bake at preheated 350º oven for 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.