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Secrets from the fair

By now, the fairgrounds are quiet and all the ribbons for 2006 have been given out. And if you're one of the lucky (and skilled) bakers who won an event at the Butler County Fair this year, you can expect friends and acquaintances to be a bit quicker to ask you for advice. Here are two more consistent fair winners willing to share some of their secrets.

Joyce Patrick

Joyce Patrick of Trenton won "Best of Show" for her perfect cherry pie in 2000.

" 'Best of Show' means it was the best pie at the fair," said Patrick, who's been competing in the food category for 20 years.

She says her secret is in the pie crust.

"The filling is important, but if you don't have a tender, flaky crust, forget it," said Patrick, who enters for fun, for the competition, and to learn from others.

"I always use butter-flavored Crisco, and I always use just a little more than it calls for. It's also important to use a pastry blender, and really chop it up to the size of peas before adding the water."

Joyce Patrick's cherry pie

1 9-inch double pie crust

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 (16-ounce) cans pitted red tart cherries, drained

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 tablespoons butter or margarine (She uses margarine.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

a few drops of red food coloring

In a bowl, add sugar, flour, cherries, almond, salt and food coloring. Mix together but do not beat. Pour filling into the pie crust. Dot the top of the cherry pie filling with margarine. Put top crust over filling. Make slits in the top crust; seal edges and flute. Put the pie on a cookie sheet so it will catch overflowing juices. Put pie shields around the sides of the crust so it won't get too brown. Bake at 350 degrees until the top crust is golden and bubbling. (Note: The filling needs to get bubbly for it to thicken.) Yield: 6-8 servings.

To make 1 double pie crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter-flavored Crisco

almost 1/2 cup water

In a bowl, using a pastry blender, chop flour, salt and Crisco together until pea-sized crumbles. Make a hole or well in the center of the mixture and add the water. Mix together. Roll out dough into two 9-inch round crusts.

Judy Proeschel

Judy Proeschel of Seven Mile won first place for her German sweet chocolate cake at the Butler County Fair in 2005. In the past, she's also won second place for it twice.

Proeschel, who's been entering food at the fair for 25 years, planned to enter her German sweet chocolate cake again this year.

Proeschel, who enters simply for the fun of it, easily gave away one of her secrets:

"I always use sifted cake flour in all my cakes because it gives you a nicer cake," said Proeschel, who's also won hundreds of ribbons at the fair over the years, including two "Best of Shows" for her jam cakes.

German sweet

1 (4-ounce) package Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

On the stove top, melt chocolate in boiling water. Cool. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Sift flour with soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into 3 9-inch layer pans lined on the bottoms with paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Frost tops only.

Yield: 16 servings.

Chocolate-pecan frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups Baker's Angel Flake Coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

In a deep saucepan, combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Cook and stir over a medium heat until mixture thickens, or about 12 minutes. Add coconut and pecans. Stir. Cool until thick enough to spread, beating occasionally. Yield: 2 1/2 cups.