Is it pumpkin spice season? Absolutely, and we’ve got you covered! Check out some of these award winning recipes from our Creative Arts Competitions, where these sweet and savory dishes are going to pair well with your soft boots, pumpkin scented candles, and warm coffee bevys.
CHEEZY AND FLAVORFUL ENGLISH PEAS
Lynda Sanders
Trophy Club, TX
2nd Place-Speedy Dishes
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cooked in skillet
¼ sliced onion, chopped
1 pkg. frozen English peas, thawed
Salt & pepper to taste
½ c. Parmesan cheese
½ c. Romano cheese
Cook bacon in skillet and drain some of the grease. Once browned and crisp, remove from pan and place on paper towel. Remove all but about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease from pan. Add chopped onion to skillet and brown until soft and translucent. Place cooked bacon in pan with onion and add thawed English peas. Add salt and pepper and stir until well mixed and cook on medium heat 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and Romano cheese and cook 1 minute.
SHORT RIB AND CARAMELIZED ONION RAILROAD PIE
Paula Joy Kindred
Plano, TX
1st Place–Farm to Fork
Ingredients:
Caramelized Onions:
3 sweet onions, sliced
1 T. salt
4 T. butter
¼ tsp. baking soda
In a Dutch oven, caramelize onions in butter until golden, adding water once they start browning: After browned, stir in salt and baking soda mixed with water and finish stirring onions.
Short Ribs:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp. 5 spice powder
½ c. red wine
3 whole tomatoes, peeled
1 lb. beef short ribs, salted & peppered
1 c. beef broth
In a Dutch oven, sauté onion 4 minutes. Add garlic and spice. Deglaze with wine. Cut an X on bottom of each tomato. In a small pot, blanche and peel tomatoes and add them to pot, chopping with a spoon, Season short ribs and place them in Dutch oven. Add beef broth and cook one hour covered and 1 hour uncovered. Remove meat and pull it apart with two forks.
Mashed Potatoes:
4-5 potatoes, peeled & boiled
4 T. butter
1 c. milk
¼ c. sweet cream
2 T. sugar
Salt to taste
Herbed Breadcrumb Topping:
2 T. butter
1 c. bread crumbs
Herbs of choice
Prepare caramelized onions and put aside. Prepare short ribs and while cooking make mashed potatoes. Construct railroad pie, spooning rib meat over potatoes. Top with caramelized onions and buttered breadcrumbs. Bake 15 minutes or until hot and toasty
GRANDMOTHER’S BUTTERMILK ROLLS
Robert Crook
Richardson, TX
1st Place–Bread Contest
Ingredients:
Tangzhong Starter:
1 c. water
1/4 c. + 2 T. bread flour
Mix water and flour in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave on high 20 seconds. Stir and continue this process 2 more times. The starter should have a paste-like consistency.
Dough:
1 c. cold buttermilk, chilled
2 lg. eggs
4 c. (22 oz.) bread flour
3 tsp. RapidRise yeast
¼ c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
8 T. unsalted butter + 1 T. melted
In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend flour paste and buttermilk together until smooth. Add eggs and whisk until smooth. Add flour and yeast. Change to dough hook and mix on low speed several minutes. Cover bowl with a towel and allow to rest 15 minutes. Add sugar and salt and mix medium-low speed 5 minutes. Remove dough and place on a lightly floured work surface and knead dough, forming it into a round ball. Place in a large bowl, spray dough surface with vegetable spray, cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in volume, about 1 hour. Grease a 9 x 13-inch lined baking pan and set aside. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Deflate each round of dough and roll out into 2 (12 x 9 inch) rectangles. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 4 equal parts, then cut 4 strips into 3 equal portions widthwise. Giving a total of 24 (3 x 3 inch) dough portions. Gently press and stretch each portion into a 4 x 8 inch rectangle. Roll up each rectangle and place in prepared pan. Continue with remaining dough. Cover with a cotton towel and allow to double in volume, about 50 minutes. Bake in a preheated 375° oven on lowest rack. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature registers between 190° to 200° on an instant read thermometer. Allow rolls to cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Invert from pan, re-invert onto wire rack and brush with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Allow to cool 20 minutes before serving.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Cindy O’Brien
Dallas, TX
2nd Place–Cookie Contest
Ingredients:
½ c. butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar
3 T. granulated sugar
1 lg. egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1¾ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 c. dark chocolate chips
1 ½ tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
1 c. pecan pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed about 30 seconds, until mixture is fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla 30 seconds longer, until well combined. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to mixer, while beating on slow speed. Beat about 15 seconds; stir in chocolate chips and espresso powder and mix 15 seconds longer. Beat in pecan pieces. Using a 1-ounce scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheet in dollops about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into 2-inch circles. Transfer to the oven in batches and bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned around the edges. Bake for a little longer for crispier
FANCY PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE
Anna Jones
Coppell, TX
Best of Show-Down–Cake Contest
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin purée
4 lg. eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (8-inch) cake pans, line with parchment paper and grease and flour paper. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of butter until fully combined and fluffy. Add pumpkin purée and beat until fully combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. Divide evenly between 2 prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from oven to wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert out of pan onto cooling rack to cool completely. Make frosting while cake cools.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 ½ c. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1 T. heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In large mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat in cream and then continue beating until fluffy.
¼ c. sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. butter, melted
Combine sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Level cake layers as necessary. To assemble cake: Brush side of a cake layer with butter then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or gently roll edge into cinnamon-sugar mixture by holding it on its side (cake is sturdy enough to tolerate this). Once side is coated with cinnamon-sugar mix, place layer on serving platter. Top with half of frosting (spreading or piping). Repeat butter and cinnamon-sugar to edge with second layer and then top with.