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Prize-winning recipes could provide inspiration for fair entries

Lorie Hutson Food editor

If you need some inspiration while you whip together recipes for this year’s Spokane Interstate Fair, try looking at some previous winners.

Cherri’s Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls were the national grand prize winner in the Fleischmann’s Yeast Dynamic Duo Contest last year. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Mousse is a nice ending to any dinner party. And Crunchy Spam Bites are a previous winner from the Spam Kid Chef of the Year competition.

Here are the recipes:

Cherri’s Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

From Cherri and Eric Kruggel, Los Angeles County Fair

Caramel Topping:

1 tablespoons butter or margarine

¼ cup whipping cream

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Apple-Cinnamon Topping:

6 medium pieces cooking apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Dough:

5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided

½ cup sugar

2 envelopes Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons milk

½ cup water

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 large egg

Cinnamon-sugar filling:

1 ¼ cups brown sugar, packed

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a medium saucepan, combine Caramel Topping ingredients, except pecans. Over medium heat, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring constantly. Pour into greased 13-by-9-inch rectangular pan; sprinkle with pecans. Combine apples, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for Apple-Cinnamon topping and stir to combine. Arrange ½ of Apple-Cinnamon Topping over caramel and pecans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.

To make the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Divide dough in half; roll each half to 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle each with remaining Apple-Cinnamon Topping and Cinnamon-Sugar Filling. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut each into 9 (2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides up, in prepared pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Cool slightly in pan on wire rack. Invert onto serving dish.

Yield: 18 rolls

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Crunchy Spam Bites

From Faith Reed of Maryland

1 (12-ounce) can Spam Classic or Spam Oven Roasted Turkey

2 cups sweetened corn cereal

20 butter flavored crackers

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 egg, beaten

For Cheese Dip:

3 ounces processed cheese

¼ cup ranch salad dressing

¼ cup sour cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a work bowl of food processor, crush cereal and crackers. Stir in garlic and onion powder. Using butter knife slice Spam into ¼ to ½ inch slices. Using favorite cookie cutter, cut Spam into shapes. Dip Spam into cereal mixture and into beaten egg and again into the cereal mixture to coat. Place Spam on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, turning halfway through heating. Meanwhile, for cheese dip, melt processed cheese spread in a microwave-safe dish. Stir in dressing and sour cream until smooth. Serve Spam bites with Cheese Dip.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Mousse

From www.ghirardelli.com

2 cups heavy cream

1 bag (11.5 ounces) Ghirardelli 60 percent Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

3 tablespoons instant coffee

2 tablespoons water, hot

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons sugar

Whip the cream to form light peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Melt the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl set over barely simmering water.

Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water.

Meanwhile, whip the eggs with the sugar and the dissolved coffee until very fluffy and thick, about 10 minutes.

Fold the beaten eggs into the melted chocolate chips until uniform in consistency, then fold in the whipped cream.

Pour or spoon mixture into cups or bowls and chill until firm about 2 hours. Decorate with berries or a dollop of whipped cream.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.