XENIA — Greene County youth were cooking up some tasty recipes July 30 during the Youth Baking Contest.
Participants ages 10-17 brought their ingredients ready to bake one of the beginning, intermediate or advanced recipes for the judge. Just some of the recipes to choose from included: muffins, coffee cake, brownies, fudge, cupcakes, favorite homemade snack and others. Items are required to be whole and uncut. Six items should be on a plate for display.
The young chefs had three minutes to set up and 30 minutes to create the recipe and bake it for the judge.
The judge made observations during their preparation phase of the competition. Once the recipe was complete and baked, the judge asked the participant questions such as what they learned between practicing and executing their recipe, and what they liked about the recipe.
Gabbi Bradley, 10, of the Jamestown Junior Farmers 4-H Club; and Ava Carroll, 10, of Clover Patch were first up. Ready with their ingredients, Carroll chose a beginner recipe of a favorite snack — small personal pizzas. Bradley had an intermediate recipe for coffee cake muffins.
Both were first-time bakers at the Greene County Fair. Each of the two fair-goers are participating in other competitions this year. Bradley is showing pigs while Carroll has a sewing and art project.
The bakers were asked what they learned from their experiences and both thought of sanitary cooking practices.
“You need to make sure the oven is the proper temperature,” said Gabbi.
While Ava said it was, “important to have clean hands.”
Bradley got some advice from the judge on measuring liquid — place the measuring cup on the table and eye it from the table level with the eye to the measurement.
The girls enjoyed the competition and both hope to be back next year to try it again.
