Make It With Sugar Contest Winners

The Roundup held its "Make It With Sugar" Contest on Nov. 5 at Reynolds Market.

Make It With Sugar Contest Winning Recipes:

1st place Cookies: Nikole LeFors, Sidney

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

1 c. butter, room temperature

1 c granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. salt

3 c. all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350º F/175º C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside. In the bowl of the stand mixer beat butter & sugar together for 1 minute until mixed. Add in eggs & vanilla & mix until incorporated, scraping sides as necessary. Add in baking powder & salt, continuing to mix & finally the flour. Mix until dough just comes together. Using a medium (2 tbsp.) cookie scoop drop the dough onto the lined baking sheet. Alternately you can roll the dough into balls if you want a thicker cookie. Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden. Don’t over-bake.

Glaze

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

optional: powdered sugar to dust

While cookies are baking combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil. Allow the glaze to cool slightly (about 5 minutes) to thicken. When the cookies are done, spoon 1 tsp. of the glaze onto each cookie while they’re warm. If the glaze gets too thick just heat it up more. Dust with powdered sugar after the glaze has set if desired.

1st place Cake: Carolyn Limerick, Fairview

Apple Cider Donut Whoopie Pies

Cakes

2 c. apple cider

2 c. all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 lge. egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. buttermilk

Reduce cider to 1/2 c. & cool (must be cool all the way). Cream sugar & butter, then add vanilla & egg. Sift dry ingredients together. Alternate adding dry ingredients, cooled cider & buttermilk mixing well. Set batter in the fridge to cool & set. You will get better cakes that way. Use ice cream scoop to place batter on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350º until firm but spring back when touched & a toothpick comes out clean. Move to wire rack to cool all the way.

Coating

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. nutmeg

4 tbsp. melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients, brush butter on tops of cakes & coat with sugar mixture.

Filling

1 c. butter

2 c. powdered sugar

2 c. marshmallow fluff

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. apple cider

1 tsp. ginger

Mix together all ingredients until smooth. Using the same scoop as was used for the cakes, scoop filling onto the flat side of one cake, spread slightly, then top with second cake.

1st place-Breads & Rolls: Nikole LeFors, Sidney

Chocolate Banana Bread

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. Dutch process cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 lge. brown bananas (1 1/2 c. mashed)

1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled

1/4 c. canola vegetable oil or melted coconut oil

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1 lge. egg, (at room temperature)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x5”-loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray & set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & sea salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter & oil & stir until combined. Stir in brown sugar, egg & vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overtax. stir in 3/4 c. chocolate chips.

1st place-Other: Shannon Wicks, Sidney

Chokecherry Jelly

3 c. prepared fruit

1 pkg. pectin

5 c. sugar

1/2 c. lemon juice

Combine fruit, pecan & lemon juice in large pot. Using a medium flame, bring to a rolling boil stirring occasionally. Add sugar & return to rolling boil, stirring for a full minute. Ladle into sterilized canning jars or freezer containers immediately.

1st place-Candy: Margaret Bradley, Sidney

Peanut Brittle

1 c. corn syrup

1 c. white sugar

2 c. raw Spanish peanuts

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. baking powder

Lightly grease cookie sheet & set aside! Put syrup, sugar, butter & salt in 4 qt. saucepan. Put on medium heat stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Add the peanuts (keep stirring constantly) until mixture reaches 290º on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat & stir in baking soda. Pour on prepared cookie sheet. Don’t spread too thin. Best when left at least 1/4” thick. Let cool-break up & enjoy.

1st place- People’s Choice; Amariah Hier, Lambert

Italian Lemon Cookies

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/4 c. +2 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tbsp. orange zest

1 pinch salt

3/4 c. + 2 tbsp. butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Lemon Glaze

1/2 c. milk

1 c. powdered sugar/or until thickened

1 tbsp. orange zest

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, zest & salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter & sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add 1/2 flour & lemon juice. Add remaining flour & with wooden spoon combine to form a dough. Transfer dough to large piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into log approximately 1/2” wide. Wrap up the dough & freeze for 30 minutes. Remove dough & cut into 1/2” slice. Arrange slices on large cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 320ºF. Bake cookies 5 minutes, then raise temperature 350ºF & continue baking for 9-10 minutes or until light gold. Cool 5 minutes on rack, then remove from cookie sheet & glaze!

Four Berry Rhubarb Pie-Carli Karren, Sidney

Homemade Crust

(2 crusts)

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco

1/4-1/2 c. cold water

Mix flour & salt. Add in Crisco & mix until it is a fine crumb. (I use my Kitchen Aid & this gets done in 30 seconds) add in 1/4 c. water. Add remaining 1/4 c. as needed until your crumb sticks together when pressed into a ball in your fist. The less water you use, the flakier the crust will be.

Pie Filling

4 c. frozen sweet cherries, strawberries, blueberries & tart cherries

4 c. frozen rhubarb

6 tbsp. flour

1 c. sugar

Thaw berries & rhubarb in microwave & press out excess liquid. Add 6 tbsp. flour to fruit, add in sugar. Mix, let sit for 10 minutes. If the “juice” is a creamy color, you have enough flour to liquid ratio. If it looks like “juice” add more flour as needed. Roll out pie crust dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Place 1 in pie tin, fill with filling & top with the other. Make any design you’d like. I opted for a turkey & added colorful leaves & brown feathers. Just make sure the top has a vent to let out steam. Bake in preheated 375º oven for 55-70 minutes or until the filling is very bubbly. Enjoy!