My favorite recipes

Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Contest Winners

Pictured are entries from this year’s Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Contest. The recipes are for entries that placed first, second and third in youth and adult divisions, with one extra because of the uniqueness of the recipe.

The Palouse Empire Fair brings all sorts of sensory stimuli - the sound of the carnival rides, both engines working and riders screaming, oinks, moos and baas from the animal barns and the smells of hamburgers grilling at the three big local organizations’ booths. Mini-donuts, mochas, bright colored quilts and clothing, clear jars of canned fruits, vegetables and preserves and glimpses of photographers’ visions of the Palouse and other places are delights for the senses.

For foodies, the focus is on the wide variety of foods, and enthusiastic foodies are welcomed as fair judges in the baked goods departments in the Home Arts Building. Although Superintendent Lorna Lynch does not care for chocolate, Jana Mathia is able to locate sufficient judges to participate in the Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Contest at the fair. Linda Shea, a judge at last year’s contest, called to say that she was missing being there, but flying in from Chicago seemed a little over the top.

The contest is open to youth and adults, and one of the requirements is that the cooks must include the recipes for their chocolate creations. Judges look for all the usual hallmarks of well-made cookies, cake, brownies or candy, but also for a strong chocolate flavor, since this is a chocolate contest! Extra points for creativity, which isn’t always easy to do without messing with the chocolate flavor, so presentation and decoration are the best ways to collect those extra points.

Below are recipes that placed first, second and third in youth and adult divisions, with one extra because of the unique recipe.

First Youth

Chocolate Cookies by Eric Akesson

3 cups butter

3 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups baking cocoa

3 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons vanilla

8 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups flour

4 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix together flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Mix flour mixture into creamed mixture. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Drop cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Second Youth

Low-Fat Chocolate Cupcakes by Ashley Richman

3 cups soft wheat flour (no all purpose — whole wheat works, too)

1 1/2 cups unbleached cane sugar

1/2 cup best cocoa powder (Honestly, Hershey’s is great)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons oil (any but olive oil — I use coconut oil)

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla and water until well combined. Add flour mixture to the mixer and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Batter should look and feel more watery than normal cake batters.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan halfway through cooking, until a cake tester inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately remove cupcakes from muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

World’s Best Swiss Buttercream

6 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 cups unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa

Over a double boiler, in a large metal bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and the egg whites, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches approximately 115 degrees F and the sugar grains have dissolved and are no longer gritty to the touch.

Pour this mixture into the metal bowl of a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed until it is thick, glossy, and white in color. The peaks should be as firm as firm can be.

In the meantime, sift the confectioners’ sugar. Once you have achieved STIFF peaks meringue, add the confectioners’ sugar all at once with the mixer on very low speed.

Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer speed to medium-high until it is nicely mixed in.

Be sure the butter and shortening are at room temperature and the same consistency. Add in 2-3 fast additions.

Switch to the paddle attachment and continue mixing on low to medium speed until frosting is smooth.

Third Youth

Maple Cremes by Maile Sandberg

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tablespoon Mapleine (flavoring)

6 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 pounds chocolate for dipping.

Mix sweetened condensed milk, Mapleine, and powdered sugar. Form into patties and chill for 30 minutes. Dip in melted chocolate.

Adult First

Homemade Butterfingers by

Heather Drade-Sandberg

equal parts candy corn and peanut butter

chocolate pieces for dipping

Melt candy corn in microwave, 1 minute at a time. Once melted, quickly mix in peanut butter. Then roll out mixture onto waxed paper. I use my hands to make a rectangle. Cut into squares before it is completely cooled. Cool, then dip in melted chocolate.

Adult Second

Ultimate Chocolate Brownies

by Dana Repp

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup butter, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup chocolate chips (can use mini-chips)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 F for glass pans). Grease two 8-inch square baking pans.

Stir together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pans. Cool completely in pans on wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare frosting.

Frost brownies. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips. Cut into squares.

One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

4-6 Tablespoons milk

2 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa

Beat butter in medium bowl. Mix powdered sugar and cocoa together. Add sugar/cocoa mixture alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

Fudgey Brownies

by Amy Vanek

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients, except for 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Mix wet ingredients separately.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until all moistened. Bake in greased 13 x 9-inch pan at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over the top immediately upon removing from oven.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

by Shirley Leendertsen - best way to sneak vegetables to kids

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup grated carrots

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini and carrots.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups one-half to two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks and cool completely. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 21 cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

4-5 Tablespoons milk