Fair Food

Its County Fair time! That means that across Kansas 4-Hers, moms, grandmothers, and many others are busy in their kitchens baking enticing entries to win the purple ribbon.  4-H Foods is one of my favorite things to judge. The 4-H Foods project teaches basic to advanced food preparation and baking as well as consumer buying skills, nutrition, and food safety. Its always fun to see what the   4-Hers bring and what they have to say about it. One hint - if you want to win the top ribbon, don't try to do it with chocolate chip cookies! About 1/3 of the entries seem to be some variation of chocolate chip cookies. But many entries are unique, eye catching, and tasty. Those are the ones I can't wait to try at home!  Today I collected 3 new recipes for future baking.

This Cheesy Cheddar Quick Bread had the characteristics of a loaf quick bread with a savory taste. The cheesy aroma and lovey golden color made it a winner. This would be a good recipe to add to a summer meal. I think it tastes better than the similar rolls from a certain seafood restaurant!

CHEESY CHEDDAR QUICK BREAD

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar (sharp)

1 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/spray a loaf pan. 

2.    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder and salt. Stir in shredded cheese. Set aside.

3.    In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg and butter. 

4.    Add liquid ingredients to bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. 

5.    Spoon/pour into loaf pan. 

6.    Bake for 45-50 minutes. Top should be a golden brown. Cool on wire rack. 

7.    Remove loaf from pan, slice and serve. 

Summer Treats - Peanut Butter Blondies

Summer treats should be sweet and easy. These Peanut Butter Blondie fit the bill! Peanut butter Reese's are a favorite candy here, I even remember the excitement of my family when they first hit the shelves! What a great idea - like M&M's but PB!

Great with a glass of milk. 

This recipe is from a new blogger I've been following - Sallys Baking Addiction. She was a participant in a Wheat Tour sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission for top food bloggers across the country. KWC is always looking for ways to share information about baking and using flour from our Kansas wheat. I think they do a great job with educational stories and recipes. You can learn more on their website:   https://eatwheat.org

Wheat harvest has been finished for a few weeks,
but we always enjoy wheat products. 

Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter

2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.    In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in the peanut butter. Set mixture aside to cool. 

3.    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

4.    Add eggs, one at a time, to the peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each egg. Stir in pure vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the prepared dry ingredients, and stir until batter is smooth. Fold in ½ cup of Reese’s Piece, leaving ¼ cup to sprinkle on top. 

5.    Pour batter into the greased pan, spreading batter evenly. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Reese’s Pieces. 

6.    Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges are lightly browned. Allow 20 minutes to cool and cut into squares. 

Rice Pudding and Rhubarb Sauce - Trying new things..

I didn't think I liked rice pudding. Rice pudding seemed like such a bland, old fashion dessert. I usually prefer cakes and pies and fruit cobblers. But this recipe is wonderful! The secret? Arborio rice! Another Chef Alli recipe done in the electric pressure cooker.
Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice. It is also grown in Arkansas, California, and Missouri in the U.S., but the package I got said "product of Italy". When cooked, the rounded grains are firm, and creamy and chewy compared to other rices, due to their higher starch content. The higher starch content and slow cooking create a very creamy dish. It is also used in the preparation of risotto.
Our favorite topping for the pudding was the Easy Rhubarb Sauce that I've included the recipe for. I originally made this sauce as ice cream topping to take to a gathering of friends. I don't have a photo, but someone asked if I'd brought salsa for topping, so that is what it looks like!

EPC Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

I cup Arborio rice (only this type!)

1 ½ cups water

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup sugar

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup raisins or golden raisins

Directions:

In electric pressure cooking pot, combine rice, water, and salt. Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure for 3 minutes. When times sounds, unplug EPC (so pudding won’t scorch on the bottom) and use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure in EPC with a quick pressure release. 

Add 1 cup whipping cream and ½ cup milk and sugar to rice in EPC pot; stir to combine. 

In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs with remaining ½ cup milk and vanilla. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into EPC pot. Select sauté and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; turn off the EPC and remove pot; stir in raisins. 

Rice pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or pour into serving dishes and chill. Serve topped with whipped cream, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. 

The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. Stir in additional milk or cream until your desired consistency is achieved. 

We loved it warm soon after it was made. But it was also good cold, or warmed in the MWO. We served it by itself or topped with rhubarb sauce. 

Easy Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

⅓cup sugar

¼ cup water 

2 ¼ cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add rhubarb; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon peel and nutmeg. 

Puree mixture in a blender or with a submersion blender to make a smoother texture. 

Serve warm or chilled over pound cake, ice cream, or pudding. Refrigerate leftovers.