On Feb. 29th, the Carter Library hosted a bake-off,
challenging DNR employees to bring their best. 12
mouth-watering items were entered in the competition, and over
70 people stopped by to taste and vote on their favorites.
Recipes are below, if you'd like to try these creations for
yourself. Thank you to all who participated, and congratulations to all the winners of the 2008 Leap Day
Bake-Off!!
DNR employees socialize
during the bake-off tasting party |
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Best Taste and Texture
and Best Overall
Mint Cake
Baked by Allison Luettel, Fisheries Service
1 box White Cake mix (prepare as instructed)
Add 3 Tbs. Crème De Menthe
Bake as directed and let cool
On Top
1 jar Dove Milk Chocolate Sauce (heat as instructed & stir to
make it easier to pour over the cake)
Stir 3 Tbs. Crème De Menthe into an 8oz container Cool Whip
(spoon on top of chocolate sauce layer)
Grate your favorite chocolate bar on top. |
Allison Luettel with her prize ribbons |
Best Easy-to-Make Treat
After-a-bottle-of-wine Cookies
Baked by Linh Phu, Wildlife and Heritage Service
Follow the instructions for toll-house cookies that's printed
on the back of a bag of chocolate chips, but use white
chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk
chocolate.
Best Special Occasion Treat
Nanaimo Bars
Baked by Jenny McCune, Wildlife and Heritage Service
Nanaimo is a town on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia,
Canada. According to local legend about 35 years ago, a
Nanaimo housewife entered her recipe for chocolate squares in
a magazine contest. In a burst of civic pride, she chose to
dub the entry not "Daphne's Delights" or "Mary's Munchies",
but "Nanaimo Bars". The entry won a prize, thereby publishing
the town as much as her cooking. Some American tourists claim
sovereignty over the dessert, referred to it as "New York
Slice" which is sold in many other places in the world.
Nanaimo residents refuse to accept this theory, however,
believing that once you set foot on Vancouver Island, there
are no other places in the world.
Bottom layer:
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cup graham wafer crumbs
½ cup finely chopped almonds (or other nuts)
1 cup coconut
Melt the first three ingredients in a double boiler, add egg
and stir. Remove from heat. Stir in the rest of the
ingredients. Press into an ungreased 9 x 9 inch pan.
Middle layer:
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cream (or milk)
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar
Cream the butter, cream, custard powder and icing sugar. Beat
until light. Spread over the bottom layer.
Top layer:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (or more for a thicker layer!)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Melt over low heat. Cool a little. Pour over the second layer
and spread evenly. Chill in refrigerator until solid
(preferably overnight).
Cut into squares and serve!
Best Breakfast / Brunch Treat
Best Breakfast Banana Muffins
Baked by Andrea Hoover, Fisheries Service
Wet:
1 cup or ~3 mashed bananas
½ cup of margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
Dry:
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
Topping:
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients. Add dry to wet. Mix
until moist.
Put in muffin tins. Sprinkle on topping mixture.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 regular size muffins.
Most Creative or Unusual
Chinese Chew
Baked by Li Lan Carson, Engineering and Construction
3 eggs
¾ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup of chopped dates
1 cup of chopped nuts
Mix all ingredients, grease a 9x13 pan a little bit and then spread mixed ingredients into the pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool and then cut into squares. Coat with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Best Visual Presentation
Giant Cupcake (Custard-Filled)
Baked by Jen Frye, Wildlife and Heritage Service
Makes 1 huge cupcake; cupcake pan available from King
Arthur’s Flour: The Bakers Catalog, online at:
www.bakerscatalogue.com
Yellow Cake
2 ¼ c cake flour
1 ½ c shortening
¾ c milk
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
3 large eggs
Beat all ingredients with a mixer at low speed until mixed,
then increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into
cupcake pan and bake at 325º for 40-45 minutes or until
toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool
completely.
Creamy Custard Filling
2 c milk
¼ c sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
Stir together all ingredients except vanilla extract in a
medium saucepan. Over medium-low heat, cook until mixture
thickens and boils, about 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract.
Cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Once the cake is cool, scoop out a section of the bottom half
in the middle. Fill with cooled custard. Then put the top of
the cupcake on and frost.
Butter Cream Frosting
16 oz confectioners sugar
6 tbsp butter
3 tbsp milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Beat all ingredients until smooth with a mixer or a large
spoon, adding more milk as needed until frosting is smooth and
easy to spread. Wait until cake is completely cool before
icing.
Honorable Mentions
Black Bottom Cups
Baked by Gwen Brewer, Wildlife and Heritage Service
Yield: about 18 cupcakes
In a bowl, beat 8 oz. softened (room temperature) cream cheese
until smooth and creamy. Beat in 1 egg, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/8 tsp
salt, and ½ tsp vanilla. Beat well. Stir in 1 c. semi-sweet
chocolate chips.
Into a separate bowl, sift 1 ½ c. flour, 1 c. sugar, ¼ c. plus
1 T. unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt. Add
1 c. water, 1/3 c. vegetable oil, 1 T. white vinegar, and 1
tsp vanilla. Beat well.
Fill muffin cups lined with paper cups 1/3 full with chocolate
batter. Top with about a tablespoon of the cream cheese
batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until the cream
cheese mixture begins to brown on top.
Let cool in muffin tins for 10-15 minutes, then remove and let
cool completely.
Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe
Baked by Donna Taylor, Power Plant Assessment Division
A woman who works with the American Bar Association called
Mrs. Fields Cookies and asked for the below recipe. She was
told that there was a two fifty charge for the recipe. She
assumed it was $2.50 and she charged her VISA. It was not
$2.50 but $250.00. In order to get her monies worth she is
passing the recipe out to everyone. Take a copy and give it to
a friend with her blessing. (So the story goes)
Cream together:
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
Add:
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together:
4 c. flour
5 c. oatmeal (Measure first then put small amounts into
blender until it turns to powder.)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
Mix together all ingredients and add:
24 oz. bag of chocolate chips
one 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated) - optional
3 c. chopped nuts (any kind) – optional
Make golf-ball sized cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets,
2” apart, at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. Makes 112 cookies.
Magic Bars
Baked by Kerrie Kyde, Wildlife and Heritage Service
1 stick butter or margarine, melted in baking pan
1 and a half cups graham craker crumbs, sprinkle over butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk, pour over crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut, sprinkle over milk
1 cup chopped nuts, sprinkle over coconut
1 cup chocolate chicks, sprinkle over nuts
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
New Orleans Black Muffins
Baked by Chris Frye, Wildlife and Heritage Service
¾ c hot water
½ c molasses
¼ c milk
2 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose flour
¾ c sugar
3 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ c coarsely chops pecans, walnuts, or a mixture of both
Combine hot water and molasses, stirring until well blended.
Stir in the milk.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, baking
powder, baking soda and salt.
Fold the liquid mixture and pecans into the dry ingredients
just until flour is thoroughly incorporated; do not over mix.
Spoon into greased muffin cups. Bake at 300º for 45 minutes to
one hour. Remove from pan immediately and serve hot.
Low-Sugar Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Baked by Ann Wheeler, DNR Carter Library
Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetended applesauce
12 packets Splenda
2 teasp. blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapples)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teasp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
1 cup almond flour (available at Trader Joes)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teasp baking soda
1 teasp salt
2 teasp cinnamon
1/2 teasp allspice
1/4 teasp cloves
Upside-Down Topping
6-7 canned pineapple rings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a springform cake pan with canola oil spray. Place pineapple rings at the bottom of the pan. In a bowl, combine wet ingredients, mix well. In a seperate bowl,
combine dry ingredients, mix well. Add to wet ingredients, and mix well. Pour over pineapple. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until toothpick in center
comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Low-Sugar, High-Fiber Apple Raspberry Crisp
Baked by Ann Wheeler, DNR Carter Library
4 or 5 apples, any baking variety, sliced (do not peel)
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon agave nectar (available at Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lime juice
Topping
2 tablespoons chilled margarine (I use Smart Balance)
1/2 cup rolled oats, or multi-grain hot cereal (available at
Trader Joes)
3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon oat bran or wheat bran
1/3 cup chopped almonds
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with canola
oil spray. Combine apples, raspberries, agave, cornstarch, and lime
juice. Mix well. Put mixture in prepared baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the margarine, rolled oats or
multigrain hot cereal, flour, flaxseed meal, and bran. Cut
with a pastry cutter or with two table knives until topping is
crumbly. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for about 35 minutes.
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Phone: 410-260-8830
Fax: 410-260-8951
Email:
awheeler@dnr.state.md.us
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