Spring has sprung and with it comes fresh treats and traditional snacks that any Fair fan will love. Every year, our Creative Arts department gathers up the recipes of our Blue Ribbon Winning entries and share them you! This month, you’ll find these home chefs took inspiration from the flavors of Spring to create their master pieces – flavors like carrots, eggs, and even pecans! After all, no Texan recipe list is complete without pecans!
CARROT CAKE
Sarah Durdin Plano, TX Best of Show–Cake
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 lg. eggs, room temp.
1 ½ c. vegetable oil
2 c. finely grated carrots
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. well-drained crushed pineapple
1 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1 c. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, oil, carrots, and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in pineapple, coconut, and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 T. butter, softened
12 oz. powdered sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange juice
In medium-size bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time; blending until smooth. Beat in vanilla and orange juice. Frost cake. Store in refrigerator.
CARIBBEAN CARROT SOUP
Helen Fields Paradise, TX Best of Show–Farm to Fork
Ingredients:
¼ c. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ c. minced white onion
1 lb. carrots, peeled & chopped
4 c. chicken stock
2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 c. milk
1 tsp. lime juice
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Sour cream, for garnish
Melt butter in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion, cook until fragrant and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add carrots, stock, and jerk seasoning; bring to a boil. Increase heat to medium, cover pot, and cook until carrots are very tender, about 30-35 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, add milk, lime juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper; simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
EASTER QUICHE BITES
Erin Lucci Venus, TX 2nd Place–Holiday Party
Ingredients:
1 lb. pork sausage (original)
1 c. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 ½ c. full-bodied extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. bacon bits
7-oz. can of diced fire-roasted green chilies
10 eggs
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. sea salt
Brown sausage, drain. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Place sausage on the bottom of the pan. Add cheeses and bacon. Pour green chilies over top. In a bowl beat eggs. Add garlic, pepper, chili powder and salt. Pour over top of ingredients in pan. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
JUST YOLKING! LEMON CAKE
Toni Steger Plano, TX 3rd Place-Farm to Fork
Ingredients:
3 c. cake flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
12 lg. egg yolks, room temp.
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 T. fresh lemon juice
¾ c. plus 2 T. cold water
Grease and flour a large tube cake pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until very fluffy and thick. Gradually beat in sugar, beating 2 minutes on high speed, stopping to scrape bowl and beaters. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Gradually, add sifted flour mixture while beating on low, scrape bowl. Beat only long enough to blend, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown or tests done. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan. Loosen sides of cake from pan with a spatula, then remove from pan. Brush warm cake with warm lemon syrup. Cool completely on wire rack. Transfer to serving plate and drizzle with lemon glaze.
Lemon Syrup:
¼ c. water
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 ¼ T. fresh lemon juice
Mix together water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
In a small bowl, sift powdered sugar. Gradually add lemon juice until a smooth thick but pourable glaze.
PECAN PRALINES
Calvin Burress Houston, TX 1st Place–Youth Cooking. Children. Age 13
Ingredients:
1 ½ c. sugar
¾ c. brown sugar
½ c. buttermilk
6 T. salted butter
1 ½ c. roasted pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
In a saucepan combine sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, and butter. Place over medium-high heat and stir constantly until pralines reach a softball stage at 240º. Add pecans and vanilla to the mixture and remove from heat. Stir praline mixture for 2 minutes with a wooden spoon. With teaspoon, spoon pralines onto parchment paper and let cool.