MINNESOTA STATE FAIR RECIPES

(Presented at in the Creative Activities Building and on John Michael Lerma Day) 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter or margarine

1 cup Coca-Cola

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

1 stick butter

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 tablespoons Coca-Cola

1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Grease or spray with cooking spray a 9 X 13-inch pan.  Stir flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Melt butter; add Coca-Cola, cocoa, and buttermilk to butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil (or melt in the microwave and mix well). 
2. Pour butter-Coca-Cola mixture over flour mixture; add baking soda, eggs, vanilla, and marshmallows and mix well.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until it tests done.  Let cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. 
3. For frosting, combine butter, cocoa, and Coca-Cola in a pan and bring to a boil (or heat in the microwave).  Remove from heat; mix in confectioners’ sugar, pecans, and vanilla.  Spread over warm cake. 

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt

¼ cup cold all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold water                                  

1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash. 

1. All ingredients should be cold.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add shortening and butter.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles course meal. 
2. Drop by drop, add the cold water.  Mix in with the finger tips not hands as the palms will warm the dough.  Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly. 
3. Place dough in plastic wrap.  Fold over plastic wrap and press down to form a disk.  This will make rolling out easier after chilling.  Finish warping in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least ½ hour.
4. Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan or 8 ½ fluted flan pan with cooking spray.  Roll out dough and place in pie plate, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the edge.  Cut away extra and crimp.  Brush with egg wash and return to the refrigerator until filling is ready.  Makes pastry for 9-inch single-crust pie. 

8 cups apples - peeled, sliced

2 tablespoons butter - melted

2 tablespoons sour cream

4 teaspoons lemon juice

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

½ cup oatmeal

¼ cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the apples, butter, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon into prepared pastry shell.
2. For the topping, combine sugar, flour and oatmeal in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling.
3. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack.  Serves 8-10

3:00pm—FRANK SINATRA’S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
Tomato Sauce:
½ cup chopped onion
¼  cup chopped celery
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes, cut up
1/3 cup tomato paste
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 bay leaf

Prepare tomato sauce and set aside. 

¼ cup all-purpose flour
½  teaspoon salt
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise in 12-inch slices
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup (1 1/2 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese

1.      Combine flour and salt. Dip eggplant in egg, then in seasoned flour. Sauté eggplant slices in hot oil in large skillet for 3 minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Drain slices well on paper towel.

1. Place 1/2 of eggplant in single layer in a 10 x 6 x 2-inch baking dish, cutting slices to fit. Sprinkle with 1/2 of Parmesan cheese, ½ tomato sauce and 1/2 mozzarella cheese. Cut remaining mozzarella into triangles. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 400F degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot.  Serves 6-8

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup Crisco butter flavored all-vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces

½ cup cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

½ cup cold water

Crisco cooking spray  

1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

1. Preheat oven to pie recipes instructions.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add shortening and butter.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles course meal. 
2. Drop by drop, add the cold water.  Mix in with the finger tips not hands as the palms will warm the dough.  Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly.  Divide dough into two pieces and place one piece of dough in plastic warp.  Press down to form a disk.  This will make rolling out easier after chilling.  Refrigerate until needed. 
3. Lightly spray a deep 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.  Roll out second piece of dough and place in pie plate, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the edge.  Cut away excess and decoratively crimp.  Lightly brush sides and bottom of crust with egg wash.  Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes before filling. Makes pastry for 9-inch double or lattice crust pie. 

½ cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup water

½ cup white sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon Golden Fig Fine Food Apple Pie Spice

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

8 Granny Smith or mixture of other pie apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Melt butter in a heavy bottom saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Stir in spices and vanilla.  Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Fill prepared bottom crust with half the apples and pour ¾ of the syrup over them evenly.  Add with remaining apples, mounding slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the rest of the syrup over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run over the edges. 
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350F degrees. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes or until apples are soft and tender.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  Serves 8-10

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 06 1:00PM—ELVIS PRESLEY’S POUND CAKE
3 cups granulated sugar
½ pound butter, softened
7 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice, divided
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.  Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Add vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set in a COLD oven and turn heat to 350f degrees. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly.