The contests, held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, are a roundup of the winners of the Hershey’s contests at 109 local fairs throughout the state. The cake contest received a record 79 entries, said Karen Dobson, who coordinates the contests for the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs.
The cookie/brownie/ bar contest, open to those ages 8 to 18, received 75 entries, down slightly from the 79 entries from the 2006 fairs.
Both contests are judged on flavor, moistness and crumb texture, overall appearance and consistency of size and shape. Cakes are also judged on topping or icing, and cookies, brownies and bars are judged on creativity.
Each entrant received a gift package from Hershey’s, which included an apron, measuring cup, whisk, spatula and six varieties of baking chips.
The brownies that won first place at the Bedford County Fair took second place at the state contest for Makayla Feathers, 11, of Imler.
Makayla said she was excited but a little disappointed — she placed second last year, too, a prize that comes with $15.
Makayla’s mother, Jennifer Feathers, said her daughter picked up baking from others in the family — the same way Amanda Smith, 16, of Duncansville, got into the habit. Amanda entered Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies (chocolate chip cookies with Hershey’s Kissables), which won first place at the Morrisons Cove Community Fair.
“I started working my grandma (Lista Smith of Duncansville) and learning,” Amanda said.
The Altoona area was well represented at the cake contest as well, with four Blair Countians making the trip to Harrisburg.
Abby Creek of Bellwood entered her Hershey’s Cocoa Chocolately Cake — a recipe that includes mayonnaise. The cake won first place at the Sinking Valley Farm Show.
“It was my mother’s recipe from when she worked at Joy Beans Bakery in Tyrone,” said Creek, 28.
The cake that won first place at the Morrisons Cove Community Fair was an original creation of Jamie Russell, 19, who lives in Martinsburg. Russell entered her Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Cake.
“It’s a brand-new recipe,” Russell said. “I made it up.”
Dee McCloskey’s prize-winning cake, Deep Dark Chocolatey Cake, is “one of the easiest cake recipes” she’s ever made.
“I’ve made it while making supper,” said McCloskey, 67, who won the contest at the Bellwood-Antis Farm Show.
Venus Leidy of Huntingdon won the contest at the Huntingdon County Fair with a cake she’d never made before — or, for that matter, tasted.
“It was the first time I made it,” said Leidy, 36. “I have a neighbor who enters every year, but I never did before. ... It was a total whim.”
Leidy put the recipe — Hershey’s Chocolate Cake with Mint Cream Filling — together for her husband, Roger, who likes mint and chocolate together. And yes, they’ve tasted it since the fair.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It has just enough mint to not be overpowering.”
To make the Bedford County Fair winner, Shirley Barefoot got her recipe for Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake from the contest’s sponsor — Hershey’s.
“It was on the Hershey box,” said Barefoot, 65, of Alum Bank. “I went (to the farm show) the year before last, but I didn’t win.”
To make the Chocolate Medallion Cake that won the contest at the Clearfield County Fair, Virginia Yost of Houtzdale reached far back in her files.
“I got the recipe in high school, but I never used it,” said Yost, 57.
The Hershey’s contest grow in popularity every year, and plans are already under way for next year.
“Right after the cake contest, we sat down and finalized the rules for next year,” Dodson said. “We just tweaked some of the quantities.”
Mirror Staff Writer Ashley Gurbal is at 946-7435.
