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Blue-Ribbon bakers Past fair winners reveal top secrets

Want to know the secrets to prizewinning cakes and pies at the Butler County Fair?

It doesn't matter whether you're a serious competitor in the adult baking categories at the Butler County Fair, apron tied to the blue building, or if you're in it just for the fun of it. Today, four longtime competitors are not only sharing their prizewinning recipes and their secrets to each recipe, they're also giving tips on how to make a better cake or pie.

And the reasons for sharing these recipes? Well, in addition to these women being generous and kindhearted, they also all agreed on this: A dozen people could make the same cake or pie, the same way, using the same ingredients, and each recipe would still turn out differently.

As the late Jackie Gleason used to say: "How sweet it is!"

Nancy Powell

Nancy Powell, of Ross Township, won first place — the blue ribbon — for her Pecan pie in 2004 at the Butler County Fair.

After she wins first place for a pie, she never enters it again.

"After you get first place in a recipe, that's perfection, so why enter it again?" said Powell.

In order to get perfection, Powell said she took one of the judges' advice to add finely chopped pecans to the filling, because all of the pecan halves go to the top of the pie while baking, said Powell.

Powell, however, created her own secret to this special pecan pie, which could be described simply as THE best pecan pie, period.

"The secret to my pie's flavor is to add a teaspoon of bourbon," said Powell. "It cuts the sweetness of the sugar. And I added a little flour, vanilla, and cinnamon."

Powell, who'd entered the pie-baking contest for seven years before winning the blue ribbon, said to never give up.

"You can always learn from judges and other competitors, like the late Paul McDade. He always encouraged me," said Powell, who this year will be entering fruit pies.

Powell's pecan pie

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

3 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup light Karo syrup

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup pecan halves

dash of salt

1 teaspoon Makers Mark bourbon

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat eggs with brown sugar, vanilla, salt, Karo syrup, butter, bourbon, flour, and cinnamon. Add pecans and stir gently. (Note: To make a thick filling, Powell adds some finely chopped pecans because the pecan halves all rise to the top of the pie when baking.) Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Julie Gonzalez

Julie Gonzalez, of Okeana, won first place in 2005 for her orange chiffon cake.

She also won first place for the same cake, only she changed the flavor to lemon, in 2004.

But that's not all of the mileage she's gotten from this great recipe — she won second place in 2004 for this recipe, and "Best of Show" in 2001 for a similar version of the Lemon chiffon cake recipe. She also won first place in '99 and a second place in '98. Truly, she knows her chiffon cakes.

Her main tip is plain common sense: "After I get a good recipe, I don't adapt it much. I'll do things like change the flavor from orange to lemon."

Her secret to her successful chiffon cakes?

"I always use the proper pans. I use an angel food cake pan because it has removable sides," Gonzalez said. "If you use a bundt pan, the cake will stick."

Gonzalez, a serious competitor, enters at least nine or ten cakes every year at the fair — almost one cake in every category.

Since she sticks to a good thing, Gonzalez plans to enter the chiffon cake again this year.

Orange chiffon cake

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

5 large eggs, separated

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in orange peel. Make a wide well in the center of the bowl; then add water, olive oil, egg yolks, whole eggs, and orange juice. Mix until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites at a medium speed with electric beaters until foamy, like soap suds. Add and beat in cream of tartar and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Gradually increase speed and beat to very stiff peaks. Gently fold whites into yolk mixture until smooth.

Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube or angel food cake pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes. Immediately invert pan and let cool completely. Run metal spatula or thin knife around the side of the tube pan. Invert pan and remove cake. Turn cake upright on serving plate.

To make glaze: In a bowl, whisk sugar and orange juice together until smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake and let it drip down sides. Let stand until glaze sets. Yield: 12 servings.