2011 Monmouth County Fair Award Winning Recipes COOKIES: CHILD

Chocolate Crackles By Noah Christensen – Age 10 of Jackson – First Place

8 ounces semisweet , chopped 1¼ cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon coarse salt 1 stick 1½ cups light brown sugar (packed) 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup whole 1 cup sugar 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Let cool. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix in ½ the flour mixture. Mix in the milk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the dough gets firm and cold. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll the dough into 16 balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Roll the dough into the sugar. Roll the dough into the confectioner’s sugar. Place on parchment- lined cookie sheet. Space, 2 inches apart. Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through. Let cool on sheets and then move to wire racks.

Snickerdoodles By Nathaniel Christensen – Age 12 of Jackson – Second Place

2¾ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon coarse salt 2 sticks butter (room temperature) 1½ cups sugar 2 tablespoons sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Put butter and 1½ cups of sugar into electric mixer bowl. Use paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is soft and creamy. Mix in the eggs. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Shape dough into 20 balls that are about 1¾ of an inch. Roll the balls into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Rotate the cookies halfway through. Cool on wire racks.

Molasses Cookies By Carolyn Carmody - Age 8 of Freehold – Third Place

1½ sticks butter 1 cup sugar ¼ cup molasses 1 egg 1¾ cups flour ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt butter. Add sugar and molasses. Beat egg then add and blend well. Sift all dry ingredients then add to the wet ingredients and mix together. Batter will be wet. Put foil on cookie sheet. Leave 3 inches between cookies. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool on foil.

Bryan Potter – Age 8 of Howell – Honorable Mention

COOKIES: Teen Lemon Bars By Lauren Bauer and Cara Trulli – Age 13 of Freehold – First Place

Crust: ½ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar 2 cups flour 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling: 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature 3 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons) 1 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice 1 cup flour Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°. For the crust, the butter and sugar, until light, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking sheet, building up a ½ inch edge on all sides. Chill. Bake the crust for 15 - 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into triangles and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Apricot Oat Cookie Bars By Emily Halo – Age 16 of Manalapan – Second Place

Crust: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt ¾ teaspoon baking soda 1¾ cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup (4ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1 egg, at room temperature, beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling: 1 (13 ounce) jar apricot jam or preserves (about 1¼ cups) 8 dried apricots, chopped into ¼ inch pieces (about 1/3 cup)

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside. For the filling, in a small bowl, mix together the jam and the apricots. Set aside. For the crust, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla and stir until incorporated. Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula spread the filling over the crust leaving a ½ inch border around the edge of the pan. Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30 - 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Lemon Coconut Squares By Taylor Potter – Age 13 of Howell – Third Place

1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup confectioner’s sugar ¾ cup cold butter or margarine 4 eggs 1½ cups sugar ½ cup lemon juice (3 lemons fresh squeezed) 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon baking powder ¾ cup flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine flour and confectioner’s sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top. Bake at 350° for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.

COOKIES: Adult Somewhere Over the Rainbow Cookies By Andrew Micallef of Manalapan – First Place

1 can (8 ounces) almond paste (not marzipan) 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened 1 cup sugar 4 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 10 drops green food coloring 8 drops red food coloring 1 jar (12 ounces) apricot preserves 5 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to moderate 350°. Grease three 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pans; line with wax paper; grease paper. Break up almond paste in large bowl with fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks, and almond extract. Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt. Beat egg whites in medium size bowl with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir into almond mixture with wooden spoon, using a turning motion similar to folding. Remove 1½ cups of batter; spread evenly into one of the prepared pans. Remove another 1½ cups of batter to a small bowl; add green food coloring. Spread evenly into second prepared pan. Add red food coloring to remaining 1 ½ cups of batter and spread into third prepared pan. Bake in preheated moderate oven 350° for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. (Note: Cake layers will each be ¼ inch thick). Immediately remove cakes from pans onto large wire racks. Cool thoroughly. Place green layer on upturned jelly-roll pan. Heat apricot preserves in small saucepan; strain. Spread half of the warm preserves over green layer to edges. Place yellow layer on top. Spread with remaining preserves. Place pink layer, top side up, on yellow layer. Cover with plastic wrap. Weight down with large wooden cutting board or heavy flat tray. Refrigerate overnight. Trim cake edges even. Cut cake crosswise into 1 inch wide strips. Frost top (pink layer) with melted chocolate. Turn strip on side. Frost bottom (green layer). Let chocolate dry. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Repeat with remaining strips.

Mint Chocolate Delights By Rose Ann Brandl of Farmingdale – Second Place

2 cups flour 2/3 cups baking cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 2/3 cups and mint morsels

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture gradually. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 325° for 11 - 13 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Craisy Oatmeal Cookies By Betty Soto of Lakewood – Third Place

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature 1¼ cups dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes ¾ cup dried cranberries 2 cups quick oats ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Mix in honey and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Mix in coconut, dried cranberries, oats and rosemary. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Form balls, approximately 2 tablespoons. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake until cookies turn golden, 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Let sit 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Reeses® Peanut Butter Cookie By Jackie Galayda of Howell – Honorable Mention

Dough: 2½ sticks unsalted butter 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ¾ cup cocoa powder 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt

Filling: ¾ cup creamy peanut butter ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon butter (melted) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For filling, simple, blend (electric mixed is best with peanut butter) all ingredients together. In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together with a hand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until incorporated. Roll the dough into 2 logs that are about 2 inches high and 1 foot long. Wrap them in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°. Make filling and roll the cream mixture in a ball and refrigerate with the logs. Once thoroughly chilled, sliced the cookies into ½ inch thick rounds and flatten with the palm of hand to make a disk. Wrap a cream ball with the chocolate dough and roll into a ball. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Salted Peanut Cookies By Felicia Moran of Howell – Honorable Mention

1½ cups butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3¾ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips 1½ cups salted peanuts

Topping: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon shortening

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and peanuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yields 10 dozen.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, place 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening. Microwave for 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds, stirring until smooth. When cookies are cooled, coat half of the cookie with chocolate and sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts. Place on waxed paper to set.

Linzer Tarts By Maureen Wagner of Howell – Honorable Mention

2¾ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 cup unsalted butter 1 3-ounce package cream 1 cup sugar 1 large egg ½ cup ground almonds 1 tablespoon lemon zest ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift flour and baking powder together. Mix butter and cream cheese with mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg, ground almonds, lemon zest and vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 3”inch cookie cutter. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Cut equal amounts of solid cookies and ones with holes in. Place your favorite jam (raspberry, strawberry, apricot) on the solid bottom cookie and then place the one with the hole in it on top. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Pistachio Walnut Cookies By Karen Dice of Brick – Honorable Mention

½ cup confectioner’s sugar ½ cup margarine ½ cup oil 1 teaspoon almond extract 1-3 drops green food coloring 2 eggs 1 box instant pistachio pudding (3.4 ounce size) 2 cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cream of tartar 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cup nuts

Mix margarine, sugar, oil, extract, coloring, eggs and pudding well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl then add it to wet ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. Bake in oven at 375° on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-12 minutes. Check for doneness.

BROWNIES: CHILD Tina’s Brownie Smores® By Christina Brandl – Age 11 of Farmingdale – First Place

For brownies: ¾ cup Hershey’s® cocoa ½ teaspoon baking soda 2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and divided in two equal portions ½ cup boiling water 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup Hershey’s® special dark chocolate chips or Hershey’s® semisweet chocolate chips Buttercream frosting

For smores®: 1/3 cup butter 18 graham cracker squares 1/3 cup sugar 2 cups tiny marshmallows 1½ cups cold milk ¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

To make brownies: Heat oven to 350°. Grease 13 x 9 x 2 -inch baking pan or two 8-inch square baking pans. Stir together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup of butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup of butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes for rectangular pan, 30 - 35 minutes for square pans or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan or on wire rack. Frost with one bowl of buttercream frosting. Cut into squares. Makes about 36 brownies. To make smores®: Put butter in microwave-safe bowl. Put in the microwave for 30 - 40 seconds. Put the graham crackers in a plastic bag. Seal the bag shut. Use a rolling pin to crush the graham crackers. Pour the crackers into a baking pan and add the sugar and butter. Stir. Put in the freezer for 10 minutes. Ice the graham crackers. Then put the brownies on top. Then put icing on the brownies. Then add marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Alexa’s Candy Time Brownies By Alexa Quagliato – Age 10 of Neptune – Second Place

3 candy bars, large size ½ cup butter 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup flour ¼ cup baking powder

Bake for 45 minutes, then enjoy!

Coconut Swirl Brownies By Noah Christensen – Age 10 of Jackson – Third Place

1 stick butter ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon sugar 1/3 cup 2/3 cup shredded coconut 3 eggs 1 egg white 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 6 ounces semisweet chocolate/chopped 2/3 cup flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Let 2 inches of paper overhang the pan. Butter the pan and parchment paper. Stir together 1 tablespoon of sugar, the condensed milk, the coconut, 1 egg white, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla in a bowl. Put butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until melted. Let cool. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk ¾ cup of sugar into the chocolate. Then add 3 eggs. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Add flour mixture. Stir until well combined. Pour one third of the chocolate mixture into the pan. Spread evenly. Drop dollops of coconut mixture on top of the batter. Pour in the remaining chocolate mixture. Drop dollops of coconut mixture onto the top. Swirl coconut mixture using a butter knife. Cook for 35 - 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and then lift out of the pan. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into it.

Kaity’s Double Peanut Butter Brownies By Kaitlyn Potter – Age 11 of Howell – Honorable Mention

1 cup butter, melted 3 cups white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 eggs 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sweetened cocoa powder 2 cups peanut butter chocolate morsels salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 x13-inch baking dish. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter in layers, brownie, peanut butter, brownie, peanut butter, brownie evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 - 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

BROWNIES: TEEN Butterscotch Brownies By Madison McNally – Age 15 of Freehold – First Place

1 cup King Arthur® unbleached all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 large egg, room temperature 1 large egg yolk, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 tablespoons butter 3 ounces butterscotch chips 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a Hefty® EZ Foil™ 9 x 6 x 1-inch pan with non-stick foil. Fold the excess back over the pan edges; set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Combine the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; set aside. Melt the butter and butterscotch chips over low heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir constantly until melted and combined. Remove from heat. Add the brown sugars and stir until smooth. Add the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Batter will be stiff. Fold in the nuts and spread in the prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick tests clean. Cool completely. Remove from the pan by pulling on the ends of the foil and cut into bars. Yields 12 to 16 brownies.

Cassandra Silvers – Age 14 of Old Bridge – Second Place

BROWNIES: ADULT Cocoa Brownies By Gayle Trulli of Freehold – First Place

½ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa 2 large eggs ¼ cup baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup walnuts (4 ounces) coarsely chopped (optional) ½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9”-inch square baking pan. In bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until well blended; add vanilla. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from center comes out almost clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. When cool, cut into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces.

Pecan Pie Brownies By Michelle Rosenberg of Freehold – Second Place

Brownie layer: 2 sticks butter 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 large eggs 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Filling: 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten ½ cup dark corn syrup 5 tablespoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped ½ cup dark chocolate chips (Ghiradelli® Double Chocolate chips)

Grease a 9 x 13-inch Pyrex® pan, line with parchment paper and grease parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter and chocolate in glass bowl in microwave for one minute. Stir and continue microwaving for 30 second intervals until butter is completely melted. Let sit for two minutes and then stir. If chocolate doesn’t completely melt, return to microwave for 15 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Let mixture cool. With mixer on lowest speed, stir one egg into the brown sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue with remaining eggs, one at a time, making sure the mixture is completely dissolved before adding the next egg. Stir in the granulated sugar followed by the vanilla and salt. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in flour. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips. Scrape batter in to prepared pan and smooth top. Combine all filling ingredients except pecans and chocolate chips in a large bowl and whisk until well blended. Stir in pecans and chips. Drop spoonfuls of the batter all over the top of the brownie layer. It will spread and cover the entire top during baking. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until edges of the topping are well-browned and cracked. Cool completely on cooling rack. Cover pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This solidifies brownies and makes it easier to cut. Remove brownies to cutting board and remove parchment paper from bottom. Using a sharp knife, cut brownies into squares. These are best served at room temperature, but store best in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Coconut Brownies By Felicia Moran of Howell – Third Place

Bars: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate broken up 1½ cups sugar 1½ cups all- purpose flour 4 eggs ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon coconut extract

Topping: 1 cup sweetened flake coconut ½ cup (1 stick) butter 2 cups confectioner’s sugar 1/3 teaspoon coconut extract 2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 350°. Line a 13x 9x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Make bars. Combine butter and chocolate in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave another minute and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and stir until smooth. Stir in sugar, flour, eggs, baking soda, salt, and coconut extract. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove to rack. While the bar cools, prepare topping. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden. In a large bowl, combine butter and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until smooth. Beat in coconut extract and 2 tablespoons of water. Spread over cooled bar and top with toasted coconut. Cut into squares or refrigerate until serving.

DONUTS: CHILD Applesauce Doughnuts By Ariana Gregorio – Age 10 of Wall – First Place

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup applesauce ¾ cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons shortening ½ teaspoon salt Vegetable oil for frying Powdered sugar for dusting

Beat 1½ cups of flour and remaining ingredients except oil in large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, until blended. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat oil (2 or 3 inches) to 375° in a deep fryer or 3 quart saucepan. Turn half of the dough onto a well floured cloth covered board. Roll around lightly to coat with flour. Roll dough gently to ¾ inch thick. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Repeat with remaining dough. Slide doughnuts into hot oil with wide spatula. Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface. Fry until golden brown, 1 - 1 ½ minutes on each side. Remove carefully from oil (do not prick surface) and drain. Serve plain, sugared or glazed. Do not double this recipe.

LAYER CAKE: TEEN Chocolate Layer Cake By Elizabeth Rondholz – Age 18 of Freehold – First Place

Cake: 2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 stick, unsalted butter, room temperature 1¼ cups white granulated sugar 9 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two, 8-inch pans with parchment paper and grease, set aside. Sift and re-measure flour with baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Cream butter until fluffy; gradually add sugar while beating until very light and fluffy, add almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vegetable oil. Add the cocoa powder alternating with the milk, and ending with the cocoa powder. Beat well after each addition. Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, cool in pans 15 minutes then invert onto wire racks.

Best-ever Chocolate Frosting: 1 cup butter, room temperature 4½ cups powdered sugar 1¼ cups cocoa powder ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup milk

Cream the butter; gradually add the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder, stirring in milk when needed. Add vanilla extract with first milk addition.

Cake Assembly: Slice each cake into two layers. Place first layer on cake stand and spread 1½ heaping tablespoons of frosting on top. Place another layer on top of the last layer and finish until you have no more layers left. Frost the entire cake and then pipe rosettes with remaining frosting.

Orange Almond Cake By Lauren Bauer and Cara Trulli – Age 13 of Freehold – Second Place

Cake: 3 large oranges 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups plus generous 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons orange zest 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 4 large eggs 1 cup whole milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1½ cups fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter three 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 ½-inch high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until blended. Add 2 cups of the sugar and orange zest, beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix milk and both extracts in a small bowl. On low speed, beat flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Boil 1½ cups of fresh orange juice and remaining generous 1 tablespoon of sugar in small saucepan until reduced to ½ cup, about 8 minutes. Brush warm juice mixture over tops of cooled cakes. Place 1 layer cake, orange syrup side up, on cake platter. Spread 1 cup of chocolate icing over. Top with second cake layer, then 1 cup of icing. Top with third cake layer, syrup side up. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Chocolate Icing: 1 cup butter, room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup milk

Beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer.

LAYER CAKE: ADULT Coconut Layer Cake By Peggy Skudera of Neptune City – First Place

Cake: 2 cups flour 3 tablespoons corn starch 3¼ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1½ sticks unsalted butter 1½ cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup

Mix and pour into two 8-inch pans. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool. Set aside.

Frosting: 3 cups coconut flakes 2 sticks soft butter 4 cups 10x sugar (powdered or confectioner’s sugar) ¼ cup coconut milk 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix thoroughly. Frost cake. Sprinkle with coconut.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Frosting By Patricia Raymond of Aberdeen – Second Place

Cake: 2 cups white sugar 2 cups flour 1 cup water 1 cup smooth peanut butter 1 cup butter 2 eggs ½ cup 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix sugar and flour together. Put the water, peanut butter and butter in a sauce pan. Bring almost to a boil. Pour the mixture over the flour and sugar mixture. Blend well. Whisk the eggs, vanilla, milk and baking soda together. Add it to the flour mixture. Mix well. Pour into pan. Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes.

Fudge Frosting: ¾ cups chocolate chips 1 can sweetened condensed milk ½ cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Melt chips to semi-soft (15 - 20 seconds). Add condensed milk, stir and keep heating (15 - 20 seconds). Once chips are completely melted and combined with the milk, pour over cool cake and spread. Garnish with peanuts if desired.

Chocolate Layer Cake By Vivian Becker of Manalapan – Third Place

Cake: 2 cups sugar 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cocoa 1½ teaspoon baking soda 1½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk ½ cup oil 1 teaspoon chocolate extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup boiling coffee

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 10-inch round pans. Sprinkle with cocoa powder instead of flour to keep from sticking. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, add boiling coffee slowly. Batter will be thin. (Don’t forget to add love!) Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache: 6 ounces heavy cream 12 ounces chocolate, such as semisweet chips ½ teaspoon chocolate extract

Microwave for 45 - 50 seconds until melted and smooth. If desired, use ganache for middle filling between 2 layers. Pour ganache over cake and let drip down the sides.

Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake By Heather Seixas of Manalapan – Honorable Mention

Cake: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1 cup sour cream

Topping: 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened ½ cup chopped nuts 2 cups (12 ounce package) semisweet mini chocolate chips, divided

For the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a small bowl with a pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Stir in nuts and ½ cup of chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two, 9-inch, round baking pans. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in remaining chocolate chips. Spread into prepared pans; sprinkle with topping. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack.

LOAF OR RING CAKE: CHILD Apple Cream Coffee Cake By Klaire Wall – Age 12 of Freehold – First Place

2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup chopped walnuts 1½ cups granulated sugar ½ cup butter or margarine 2 eggs, unbeaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon double-active baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup of commercial sour cream 2 medium apples

In a bowl mix walnuts, cinnamon, ½ cup of the sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat butter until creamy; gradually add the rest (1 cup) of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl and beaters now and then with rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla extract, beating until blended. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. At low speed, beat flour mixture into the batter, alternating with sour cream. Spread half of the batter in a well-greased 9-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Top with pared, cored, and thinly-sliced apples. Sprinkle with half of walnut mixture. Top with remaining batter and the rest of the walnut mixture. Bake 45 - 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Remove coffee cake from oven and let stand in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. With metal spatula, loosen cake all around the sides. Then, by the top of the tube, lift the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on wire rack. Loosen from tube and base and lift out. Place on serving plate.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (Vegan) By Melody Lin – Age 8 of Freehold – Honorable Mention

1 cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 2¾ cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup vegan butter ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup vegan chocolate chips 1¼ cups

In a large mixing bowl, mix sugars together until there are no lumps. Add flour and cinnamon and mix. Cut in the vegan butter until there are no lumps larger than a pea. Set aside one cup of this mixture as the crumb topping. Mix in the salt, baking powder and chocolate chips, and then add the soy milk and stir. Batter will be lumpy. Pour into two loaf pans, and then top with the crumb topping. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

LOAF OR RING CAKE: TEEN Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake By Allie Hagger – Age 13 of Freehold – Third Place

1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1½ cups sugar, divided 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup milk 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and 1¼ cups of sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle on the bottom of the greased Bundt pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before cutting.

Vanilla Crème Cake By Elizabeth Rondholz – Age 8 of Freehold – Honorable Mention

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2¾ cups white granulated sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream, room temperature 6 eggs 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon Tahitian vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a Bundt pan. Combine the baking powder, flour and salt, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and granulated sugar until yellow and thick at medium speed for 6 - 7 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium-high and alternate adding the heavy whipping cream with the flour mixture, so that the flour is the last to be added. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then flip onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

LOAF OR RING CAKE: ADULT Apple Cake By Mindy Iannelli of Freehold – Second Place

1 cup applesauce ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups diced apples 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix applesauce, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Coat the apples with ½ cup of the flour mixture. Fold remaining flour into wet ingredients 1/3 at a time. Bake in greased and sugared Bundt pan for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake By Kristine Yannotta of Howell – Third Place

Cake: 1 cup butter 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender 5 eggs 1 cup sugar 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour ¼ tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze: 2/3 cup sugar ¼ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice (strained) 3 tablespoons dried culinary lavender

Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the lavender in a small saucepan. Let the mixture steep for ten minutes, and then strain through a cheesecloth, discarding the lavender and let cool. Beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer. Sift together the flour and salt into a bowl. Whisk the lemon zest and one-third of the flour mixture into the eggs and continue whisking until thoroughly combined. Fold in the remaining flour a tablespoon at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the batter with the melted butter and the vanilla extract. Add this to the remaining batter and fold to combine and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40 - 45 minutes. (If the cake is browning before the center is set, cover with foil and continue baking.)

For the glaze, combine the 2/3 cup of sugar, ¼ cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of water and the 3 tablespoons of lavender in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Using a toothpick or skewer, poke holes intermittently in the top of the cake. With a pastry brush, brush the syrup over the top and sides of the cake and let cool. Brush the cake again with the remaining syrup and let cool completely.

Mocha Chocolate Chip Pound Cake By Cheri Crowl of Farmingdale – Honorable Mention

1 cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 tablespoons instant coffee mocha 4 cups of flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Combine butter, eggs and sugar. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then add them to the liquid ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Spray Pam® in Bundt pan and bake at 350° for 60 - 65 minutes. Cool. You may also glaze with melted chocolate chips.

CUPCAKES: CHILD Carrot with Coconut Frosting By Ezra Skudera – Age 6 of Neptune City – Honorable Mention

Cupcakes: 1 cup flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups shredded carrots 1 cup applesauce 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients. Pour into pan.

Frosting: 4 cups 10x powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) 2 sticks softened butter 3 cups sweet coconut ¼ cup coconut milk 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix ingredients and frost cupcakes.

Caramel N’ Smores® Cupcakes By Emma Westgate – Age 11 of Little Silver – Honorable Mention

4 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 stick butter ½ cup sugar 2 cups flour 2 ounces semisweet chocolate 22 squares caramel

For decoration/topping: Marshmallows, graham crackers, pieces of Hershey’s® chocolate

Beat 4 eggs until creamy. Add sugar. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, over medium heat, melt 22 caramel squares, 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 1 stick of butter. Stir until fully melted. Then add it to the bowl with the eggs and the sugar. Add 2 cups of flour and mix together. Fill cupcake holders 2/3 full. Bake in 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes. Take out of oven and place marshmallow on each cupcake, bake for another 2 minutes until melted. Take out of the oven and place graham cracker and Hershey’s® chocolate on top to melt.

Chocolate Cupcakes By Idil Sobel – Age 9 of Red Bank – Honorable Mention

2 cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1¼ cup sugar ½ cup oil 1 cup soy milk ½ cup water 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. CUPCAKES: ADULT Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing By Gwen Bocchinfuso of Manalapan – First Place

(-free, Vegan) Cupcakes: ½ cup very ripe banana 1¼ cups flour ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup canola oil 2/3 cup 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract Shaved chocolate for sprinkling on top Banana chips for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Puree banana until smooth. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In smaller bowl, mix: banana, oil, milk, vanilla, and almond extracts. Making a well in the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and fold gently. Do not over mix. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 - 22 minutes.

Icing: ½ cup vegetable shortening ½ cup vegan margarine 3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ cup plain soy milk

Beat shortening and margarine until fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and soy milk and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy.

Ganache: ¼ cup soy milk 4 ounces semisweet chocolate 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Bring soy milk to gentle boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and syrup. Stir gently with spatula until combined.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes By Patricia Raymond of Aberdeen – Second Place

Cupcakes: 12 tablespoons butter 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar Pinch apple pie spice Pinch cream of tartar 2 eggs 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup chopped up caramels 4 cups chopped apples

Cream together butter, sugars, salt, eggs, pinches, cinnamon and baking soda. Add flour and mix well. Fold in apples and caramels. Put into cupcake pan. Bake at 325° for 20 - 30 minutes.

Icing: 1 12 ounce jar caramel topping 1 12 ounce jar apple cinnamon topping 1 cup powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Drop by the teaspoon onto cupcake.

MUFFINS: CHILD Banana Nut Chip Muffins By Alexa Quagliato – Age 10 of Neptune – First Place

1 cup sugar 1 mashed banana 1 cup chips 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon baking soda 1½ cup flour

Banana Blueberry Muffins By Elizabeth Wardlow – Age 12 of Manalapan – Second Place

1 egg ½ cup milk ¼ cup oil 1½ cups flour ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup mixed blueberries and mashed banana

Heat oven to 400°. Place muffin cups in muffin tins. Mix all ingredients in same bowl. Add bananas and blueberries last. (Batter should be lumpy.) Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon/sugar before baking. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

MUFFINS: TEEN Chocolate Cherry Muffins By Katelyn Haggar – Age 17 of Freehold – First Place

2 cups flour 1 cup white sugar ¼ cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream ½ cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs A drop vanilla extract A drop almond extract 1½ cup fresh cherries, diced 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° and grease 24 average sized muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a medium-mixing bowl. Set aside. Whisk wet ingredients (sour cream, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts) in a large mixing bowl. Pour dry ingredients into large mixing bowl along with wet ingredients. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cups halfway full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 5 minutes, and store at room temperature.

Banana Muffins By Lauren Bauer and Cara Trulli – Age 13 of Freehold – Second Place

1 1/3 cups flour ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 ripe bananas

Blend butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add eggs until batter is smooth. Next add the dry ingredients. After all are well incorporated, beat in bananas. Finally, scoop batter out into 12 muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

MUFFINS: ADULT Banana Crunch Muffins By Lorraine Gola of Manchester – First Place

Muffins: 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1½ cup mashed bananas (3 large) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1½ cup self-rising flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup chopped dates

Topping: 1 cup oatmeal 1 cup flour ½ cup brown sugar 1 stick butter

Glaze: 1 cup of confectionary sugar 2–3 tablespoons of milk

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 6 jumbo muffin cups. To make crumbs topping, combine oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and butter and mix with a fork to form crumbs. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Add egg. Beat until blended. Add bananas and extracts. Gradually add flour, cinnamon and dates. Spoon mixture into muffin tins. Top with crumbs topping. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. For a glaze, mix confectionary sugar and milk and drizzle over cooled muffins.

Blackberry Muffins By Betty Soto of Lakewood – Second Place

½ cup butter, softened 1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup of whole milk 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1¼ cups of sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in blackberries. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 1½ dozen.

Zucchini Muffins By Joseph Pittalo of Freehold – Third Place

1¼ cups all-purpose flour 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/3 cup low-fat ½ cup 2% milk 1/3 cup low-fat ricotta cheese 1 large whole egg plus 1 egg white 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1¼ cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin cups and lightly coat them with vegetable oil spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, both of the sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and mix just until all ingredients are moist. This will be a somewhat stiff batter because the zucchini releases moisture as it cooks. Spoon butter into prepared muffin cups, filling to the rims, and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Muffins should be light golden brown, and a cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Carrot Muffins By Peggy Skudera of Neptune City – Honorable Mention

1 cup flour 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups shredded carrots 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix thoroughly. Pour into 12-cupcake pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

SCONES: ADULT Blueberry Almond Scones By Kristine Yannotta of Howell – First Place

1½ cups of flour ¼ cup of sugar 1¼ teaspoons of baking powder ½ teaspoon of baking soda ¼ teaspoon of salt 1/3 cup of butter, softened ½ cup of dried blueberries* (if using fresh blueberries, reduce buttermilk by 1 tablespoon) ½ cup finely chopped almonds ¼ teaspoon of almond extract ½ cup of buttermilk

Brushed Topping: 1 egg white, beaten ½ cup almond slices 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in softened butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add blueberries, almonds, and almond extract and mix to combine. Add in buttermilk, stirring to combine (don’t over-mix). Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly; fold dough in half and knead together four to five times. Gather dough and form into a large ball. Pat the ball out into a disk and slice it into 8 wedges (use a pizza cutter or sharp chef’s knife). Place each slice onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and brush tops with beaten egg white and sprinkle with the almond slices and the sugar. Bake 10- 12 minutes until just beginning to brown. Makes 8 scones.

Glazed Orange Scones By Daniel Harasty of Freehold – Second Place

Preheat the oven to 400°. Zest the rind of 1 orange and set aside. Then slice the orange and juice it. Set juice aside. Place in a bowl: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup butter 3 tablespoons sugar 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder Half of the orange zest Cut together by hand with pastry blender (Tip: refrigerator temperature butter is a bit too hard; room temperature butter is too soft. So, place the dry ingredients into a bowl, then cut refrigerated butter to pats, and place them on the flour. Let sit for 10 minutes for the butter to soften just a bit, and then cut together. )

When a fine crumb develops, add: 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon orange juice 2 tablespoons cream Use pastry blender to bring together. If still very dry, add a bit more cream. When the dough is just moist enough to hold together, knead a few times, then place on a floured cutting board and press to ½-inch thickness, and divide with a sharp knife or round cutter. For traditional triangles, form dough in to a long bar, then cut with a knife into squares, then each square diagonally.

Egg Wash: 1 egg 2 tablespoons water For a shiny finish, prepare the above egg wash with 1 egg beaten and 2 tablespoons of water. Then brush it onto uncooked scones. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Orange Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar ½ orange zest from above 2 teaspoons orange juice For the orange glaze, Blend thoroughly 1 cup of powdered sugar, remaining orange zest, and 2 teaspoons of orange juice. Blend thoroughly. If too stiff, add additional orange juice ¼ at a time. (A glaze can go from too stiff to too runny very quickly.) Drizzle glaze onto cooled scones. Makes 8 full-sized scones. Enjoy!

Oat Scones By Mike Procopio of Bradley Beach –Third Place

Dough: 1 cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup oat bran ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces 2/3 cup half-and-half or whole milk

Topping: 2 teaspoons half-and-half or whole milk 1 tablespoon Demerara or turbinado sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons rolled oats (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together the flour, rolled oats, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of small peas. Pour half-and-half (or milk) over the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press together gently until the dough clings together in a ball. Pat out into a round about ½-inch thick and 6½-inches across. Cut the round into 6 wedges. Place the wedges 1-inch apart on the prepared pan. Brush the wedges with milk (or half-and-half) and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and oats. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

YEAST BREAD: ADULT Czech Christmas Bread By Kathy Baghsarian of Farmingdale – First Place

2 packages active dry yeast ½ cup lukewarm water ½ cup sugar ½ cup shortening 2 teaspoons salt 1½ cups milk, scalded 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 7 cups flour, approximately 2 cups raisins 1 cup blanched almonds, slivered 1/3 cup melted butter

Soften the yeast in the water. Put the sugar, shortening and salt in a bowl and pour the milk over. Stir to blend and let cool to lukewarm. Add the eggs, softened yeast and 3 1/3 cups of the flour. Beat very well. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a clean, greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Rinse the raisins and pat dry. Roll out the dough on a floured board to an oblong shape about ½-inch thick. Sprinkle with raisins and the almonds. Gather into a ball and knead gently to distribute the fruit. Let rest, covered, on the board for 15 minutes. Divide the dough in half and then cut each half into three equal pieces. Roll the six pieces into fourteen inch ropes. Braid three of the ropes together loosely, tucking under the ends. Set on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ropes. Brush with melted butter, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes or until done.

Onion Focaccia Bread By Lee Ann D’Agostino of Brick – Second Place

(With use of bread machine) Dough: ° 1 cup water (80 F) 1/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups bread flour 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 package dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton® used in this recipe)

Topping: 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon butter Salt Pepper Fresh chives

Put ingredients for the dough in the bread machine in the exact order as listed and put on the dough cycle. Prepare 2-9-inch cast iron skillets by brushing with olive oil and preheat the oven to 425°After the dough cycle has completed, split the dough evenly between both cast iron skillets. Press dough to edges, make small indentations in the dough with fingertips and brush liberally with olive oil. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until it almost double sin size. Prepare the topping by heating the butter in a pan and cooking the onions until soft but not brown. Using fingers, press indentations into the dough again. Spread onions evenly over the dough and sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Garnish with fresh chives.

Hot Potato Dinner Rolls By Kristine Yannotta of Howell – Third Place

Dough: 1 package dry yeast 1½ cups warm water (105°F) 1 cup mashed potatoes 2/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup shortening (melted) 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 7 cups unbleached flour *1 egg, beaten (to brush on top before baking)

Dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Allow yeast to “proof” (if the yeast begins to bubble and grow, you know your dough will rise). Once the yeast is proofed, add remaining sugar, potatoes, melted shortening, eggs and salt and mix until combined. Add enough of the flour to make a soft (not sticky) dough. Knead on a floured board for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl and then turn the ball of dough over (so that the top of the dough is greased). Cover with plastic wrap and a damp dishtowel and place in a warm location and allow it to rise until doubled in volume, about an hour. With your fist, punch down into the dough to release the aid. Divide the dough in half (keep the half you are not working with covered). Form the dough into desired shapes. For knots, pinch off a piece of dough large enough to roll into a 6-inch rope, about 1/2 -inch in diameter. “Tie” the rope into a simple knot and place the knots on a greased baking sheet, 3-inches apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place the sheet in a warm place to let the rolls rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°. After the rolls have risen, brush the beaten egg-wash on top of each roll and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 4 dozen.

Sourdough Bread By Gayle Trulli of Freehold – Honorable Mention

Dough: 1 cup Sourdough Starter (below) 2½ cups all-purpose flour 2 cups warm water (105°- 115°F) 3¾ - 4¼ cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Cold water

Sourdough Starter: 1 teaspoon active dry yeast ¼ cup warm water (105° - 115° F) ¾ cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Sourdough Starter, dissolve yeast in warm water in 3-quart glass bowl. Stir in milk. Stir in flour gradually. Beat until smooth. Cover with towel or cheesecloth; let stand in warm, draft-free place until starter begins to ferment, about 24 hours (bubbles will appear on surface of starter). Once fermentation has begun, stir well; cover tightly with plastic wrap and return to warm, draft-free place. Let stand until foamy, 2 to 3 days. When starter has become foamy, stir well; pour into 1-quart crock or glass jar with tightly fitting cover. Store in refrigerator. Starter is ready to use when a clear liquid has risen to the top. Stir before using. Use 1 cup of starter in recipe; reserve remaining starter.

Mix 1 cup of Sourdough Starter, 2½ cups of flour and 2 cups of warm water in 3-quart glass bowl with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover; let stand in warm, draft-free place for 8 hours. Add 3¾ cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, baking soda and oil to mixture in bowl; stir with wooden spoon until smooth and flour is completely absorbed. (Dough should be just firm enough to gather into a ball. If necessary, add remaining ½ cup of flour gradually, stirring until all the flour is absorbed.) Turn dough onto a heavily floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1½ hours. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Punch down dough; divide into halves. Shape each half into a round, slightly flat loaf. Do not tear dough by pulling. Place loaves in opposite corners of greased cookie sheet. Make three 1/4 “-inch deep slashes in each loaf. Let rise until double, about 45 minutes. Heat oven to 375°. Brush loaves with cold water. Place cookie sheet in cent of oven. Cookie sheet should not touch sides of the oven. Bake, brushing occasionally with water, until loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 50 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

QUICK BREADS, SWEET: TEEN Raspberry-Pecan Coffee Cake By Cassandra Silvers – Age 14 of Old Bridge – First Place

1 box yellow cake mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup sour cream 3 eggs ¼ cup water 2 cans raspberry pie/cake filling ½ cup chopped pecans 1 cup powdered sugar 1½ teaspoons milk 1 teaspoon butter ½ cup white sugar ½ cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Beat together the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into a pan. With a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of raspberry into the cake. Mix together the last 3 ingredients, plus the pecans. Sprinkle over the cake. Bake at 350° for 35 - 40 minutes. When cake is cool, mix the powdered sugar, milk and butter. Drizzle over the cool cake.

Pumpkin Spice Bread By Elizabeth Rondholz – Age 18 of Freehold – Second Place

2 cups white granulated sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 15 ounce can Libby’s pumpkin 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon allspice ½ cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 1 loaf pan. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, ground cloves, allspice). Beat together the white and brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Add the pumpkin. Alternate adding the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture with the ½ cup of orange juice; beat on medium speed until just combined. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. * Makes enough batter for an additional 12 muffins.

Vanilla Glaze: 1 tablespoon butter 1½ cups powdered sugar 2½ tablespoons milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter; mix with powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Stir well.

QUICK BREADS, SWEET: ADULT Zucchini Bread By Kristine Yannotta of Howell – First Place

3 Large eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups shredded zucchini 2 tablespoons bourbon* (or substitute with 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract) 3 cups unbleached flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease and flour two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nuts). In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and bourbon. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture and mix until combined. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until done. If the tops of the loaves are starting to look like they are darkening before the centers of the loaves are beginning to set, cover the loaves with foil to decrease browning.

Triple Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake By Lee Ann D’Agostino of Brick – Second Place

1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and halved (save juice) 1 package mix 3 eggs ½ cup melted butter ¾ cup reserved cherry juice ¼ cup ½ cup chocolate chips Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Mix all the ingredients and pour into Bundt pan. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and remove from pan. When completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Crumb Bread By Mary Pagones of West Long Branch – Third Place

Topping: 2/3 cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Bread: 3½ cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 cup white sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 4 large eggs, beaten 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 15 ounces canned pumpkin ½ cup water 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 8 or 9-inch loaf pans. Mix the ingredients together for the topping until crumbly, set aside. For the bread, sift the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and sugars together. Mix the eggs, melted butter, pumpkin, water, and vanilla extract together. Slowly spoon the dry ingredients into the wet, until fully incorporated. Lightly flour the walnuts and cranberries to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread. Fold in the dried fruit and nuts. Pour the batter into the two loaf pans, and top with the crumble mixture (there may be some left over). Bake for 55 - 65 minutes, until a toothpick can be extracted cleanly. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the loaf pan and transferring to a cooling rack. QUICK BREADS, SAVORY: TEEN Beer Bread By Madison McNally – Age 15 of Freehold – First Place

3 cups self-rising flour ½ cup sugar 1 12 ounce bottle beer, any kind 1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine the flour, sugar and beer. Mix well. The batter will be very sticky. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly to the edges. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until a toothpick tests clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Serve with plenty of softened butter. Yields 1 loaf.

Notes: The darker the beer, the stronger the flavor. If you do not have self-rising flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour and add 1½ tablespoons of baking powder and 1½ teaspoons of salt to the batter.

TARTS: ADULT Pecan Tarts By Kristine Yannotta of Howell – Honorable Mention

Crust: 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup butter 2 cups flour 1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling: 6 tablespoons butter, melted 8 eggs 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup light brown sugar ¼ cup bourbon (can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 cups toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Beat all of the crust ingredients together (a food processor works well) and form into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Beat all of the filling ingredients together, except the pecans, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the crust ball from the refrigerator and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll those pieces into balls. Flatten each of the balls with the heel of your hand to form a disk. Carefully press each disk into a prepared 4-inch tart shell. Place 2 tablespoons of the chopped pecans into each prepared shell and then spoon the filling over the top of the pecans until the filling just about reaches the top of the tart. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set. Makes eight 4-inch tarts.

SINGLE CRUST PIE: CHILD Strawberry Crumb Pie Rachel Gola – Age 11 of Jackson – First Place

Pie Crust: 1 stick cold unsalted butter 3 ounces cold cream cheese 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting Pinch salt

Crumb Topping: ¾ cup rolled oatmeal ½ cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Filling: 6 cups (2lbs.) of hulled, quartered strawberries ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2½ tablespoons cornstarch ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest

To make the piecrust, place the butter and cream cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour and salt and process just until the mixture comes together in a ball. Remove the dough, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To prepare the crumb topping, combine the oatmeal, flour and sugar in a small bowl and toss until combined. Add the melted butter and stir thoroughly until combined. Refrigerate the topping until chilled, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and fit into a 9 or 10-inch tart pan. Trim off the excess dough and put the piecrust in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Line the piecrust with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 375°. To make the filling, toss the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Spoon the strawberry filling into the piecrust and spread crumb topping evenly over the berries. Bake for 1 hour or until filling is bubbling or crust and topping are golden brown. Dust with confectionary sugar when cool.

SINGLE CRUST PIE: TEEN Peach Cobbler By Madison McNally - Age 15 of Freehold Honorable Mention

Cobbler Pastry: ½ cup flour ½ cup Softasilk® cake flour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar 1 tablespoon dark packed brown sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons cold butter, diced ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon water

Combine vanilla and water in a liquid measuring cup. Place in the refrigerator. Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles pea-size crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to incorporate any large pieces of butter that remain. The dough should look marbled with small bits of butter and shortening clearly visible. Pour the chilled liquid evenly over the top and stir with a fork to evenly moisten all the ingredients. Gather the dough into a ball. If the dough is too dry to come together, simply add more water ½ teaspoon at a time until it is moist enough to gather into a ball. Shape dough into a square disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out or freeze for later use. Yields 1 pastry for an 8-inch square fruit cobbler.

Filling: 3¾ lbs. peaches – about 6 large, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ¼ cup cornstarch ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ¼ packed light brown sugar ¾ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon plus 1 pinch nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter, melted Topping: ½ tablespoon butter, melted 1 tablespoon sugar 1 pinch cinnamon

Trace the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish onto a sheet of parchment paper. Turn the paper over and secure it to the countertop with masking tape. Dust the surface and the rolling pin with flour. Roll out the dough slightly larger than the desired shape. Place the baking dish on top of the pastry. Trim away the excess dough from around the bottom of the dish. Set dish aside. Apply a decorative edge to the pastry and vent. Remove the tape and transfer the pastry on the paper to a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the baking dish with non-stick foil. Fold excess back over the pan edges. Prepare the topping by combining the cinnamon and sugar. Remove the pastry from the freezer, transfer to the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with sugar mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the baking dish by pulling up on the ends of the foil; set aside to cool. Raise the oven temperature to 400°. Prepare the filling by placing the cut peaches in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice. Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, brown sugar, spices and salt and sprinkle over the top of the fruit, tossing to combine. Transfer the filling to the baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Cover the dish with foil and poke several vent holes in the top using a knife. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and give the filling a stir. Cover and bake another 20 minutes or until bubbling hot and thickened. Cool slightly and then place the pastry over top of the filling. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite vanilla . Yields 9 servings.

Notes: Baking the pastry and filling separately ensures the pastry will be fully cooked with no soggy or raw dough on the underside.

SINGLE CRUST PIE: ADULT Apple Nut Lattice Pie By Barbara Dixey of Englishtown – Honorable Mention

Crust: 2 sticks butter 2 cups flour Milk as needed

Filling: 3 -3½ cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (3-4 medium) ½ cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons golden raisins 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ - ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Glaze: 20 caramel pieces ¼ cup milk

For the crust, blend butter until creamy; add flour gradually with milk. Form into a ball and refrigerate. Place cookie sheet on middle rack in oven to preheat; heat oven to 400°. Roll crust and place it in 10-inch tart pan or 9-inch glass pie plate and press in bottom and up side of pan. Trim off the edges. To make lattice top, roll excess dough into ½-inch wide strips and arrange strips in a lattice design over the filling. Trim and seal the edge. Place tart on preheated cookie sheet in oven; bake 40 - 55 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. During the last 10 - 15 minutes of baking, cover the crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excess browning. Remove from cookie sheet and cool for 1 hour. Melt the glaze ingredients over a Dutch oven until creamy and drizzle over the warm pie.

DOUBLE CRUST PIE: CHILD Upside Down Apple Pie By Marie and Michael Conneely – Age 7 of Neptune City – First Place

Crust: ® Flour, Crisco , lard, salt and sugar

Filling: 6 apples (Gala) ½ - ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Topping: ½ cup walnuts, chopped, ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup melted butter

Mix together the brown sugar and walnuts. Spread on the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Line the pie pan with the bottom piecrust. Mix 6 cups of sliced apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and allspice (don’t mush the apples). Fill the crust and try to fill most holes. Put the top crust on the pie and crimp the edges. Cover the edges of the piecrust with foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 375°. Remove the foil and bake for 25 minutes more. Remove the pie and flip it over immediately onto a plate.

DOUBLE CRUST PIE: ADULT Jersey Blackberry Pie By Don Steinfeld of Farmingdale – First Place

Crust: 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed 6 tablespoons unsalted margarine, cold, cubed 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling: 6 cups Jersey Blackberries ¾ cup sugar 3 tablespoons instant tapioca 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cook all filling ingredients slowly in a saucepan until gooey. To prepare crust, process the dry ingredients, add fat, and then process slightly. Slowly add ice water until crust can be pushed together. Chill dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Roll out ½ of the dough and put it in a 9-inch pie pan. Put filling in pan. Roll out the second ½ of the dough and create a lattice top to the pie. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°. Enjoy!

The All American Pie By Lorraine Gola of Manchester – Second Place

Crust: 3 cups flour 2 sticks sweet butter, cubed and frozen 3 - 5 tablespoons ice water 1 tablespoon white vinegar ½ teaspoon salt

Filling: 3 large apples, peeled and cubed 1 pint blueberries 1 can of cherry pie filling ½ cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Start with making the piecrust in the food processor. Pulse flour, butter and salt. When starting to combine, and water and vinegar until mixed together. Make 2 disks and refrigerate for 1 hour. In the meantime, make the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Roll out 1 piecrust dough and place it in a pie pan. Put filling in pan. Roll out the 2nd piecrust and place it on top and crimp the edges. Bake for 1 hour at 350°. Make an egg wash and in the last 10 minutes, brush the crust with the egg wash.

Berry Medley Pie By Maureen Wagner of Howell – Third Place

Crust: 2¾ cups flour Dash of salt 1 tablespoon of sugar 1/3 cup Crisco® ½ cup butter 1/3 cup water

Filling: 1 cup sugar ¼ cup cornstarch ½ teaspoon cinnamon Dash of salt 1/3 cup water 1 cup blueberries 1 cup strawberries 1 cup raspberries ¼ cup blackberries 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons butter

For the crust dough, put the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and spin until coarse crumbs form. Then add water. Put the crust dough in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes. For the filling, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 2 minutes until smooth. Pour over the fruit that is in a bowl and mix. Add lemon juice. Pour in a prepared 9 or 10-inch pie pan lined with crust. Dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter and then add the top layer of crust. Bake at 400°for 10 minutes, and then drop the temperature to 350°for approximately 50 - 60 minutes.

DECORATED CAKES: CHILD

Charlie Dangler – Age 9 of Farmingdale – First Place

Danielle Becker – Age 11 of Manalapan – Second Place

Jon Anthony Dangler – Age 11 of Farmingdale – Third Place

Kaitlyn Potter – Age 11 of Howell – Honorable Mention

Samito Dangler – Age 9 of Farmingdale – Honorable Mention

DECORATED CAKES: TEEN

Colleen Barr – Age 15 of Hazlet – First Place

Emily Mancouillen – Age 19 of Eatontown – Second Place

DECORATED CAKES: ADULT

Betty Soto of Lakewood – Honorable Mention

Vivian Becker of Manalapan – Honorable Mention

CHILDREN’S ONSITE CAKE DECORATION

Lorelai Waka – Age 7 of Manalapan – First Place

Anna Iannelli – Age 10 of Freehold – Second Place

Grace Giffen – Age 13 of Millstone – Third Place

Abby Bird – Age 11 of Manasquan – Most Original

Alex Fordham – Age 8 of Monroe – Craftiest

Shaena Havasty – Age 10 of Freehold – Colorful