Cooking Day for the Mariposa County Fair 2012

 

 

The time has come once again for the Mariposa County fair, Labor Day weekend every year, have only missed a few in my life. I love to enter things in the fair, for me cooking and quilts has been what I usually enter. This year I did not get much sewing done, have been moving my sewing room to the loft - have electricity now. Thanks to Brandon and Tom!

This year I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew with my baking entries, 3 kinds or bread, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, toffee, nut brittle, jam, fruit leather, and a sunflower! Because I cannot get a day off work this week, I am having to make items and freeze them. Not my first choice, but hopefully everything will turn out OK.

Some baking tips I have learned over the years for fair entries:

buy a new can of baking powder (look for aluminum free)

open a new package of yeast (I use SAF instant yeast from Smart and Final)

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR OVEN - the judge can taste the oven cleaner fumes, (and I am lazy and don't clean it all that often anyway)

bring eggs and butter to room temp for most recipes

have plenty of supplies on hand, in case you have to remake something

Follow direction from the fair book EXACTLY

have entries on time to the fair

pick up foam trays early from the fairgrounds

 

 

bench scraper at the ready, eggs and butter at room temp

Bosch mixer getting a workout today! started at 5 am!

White bread, Bosch mixer recipe. Super easy.

Whole wheat bread at the bottom, white bread in the center, cinnamon rolls. (minus one , OK 1 1/2,  2) they were really good! Recipe for WW bread also Bosch recipe, Cinnamon Roll recipe is from Chef Brad (see BYU channel)



Further updates to follow as the cooking continues! Entries are due on Wednesday afternoon. When I got the form trays from the pantry this morning my old Best of SHOW ribbon fell on me - is that an omen???