{Just For You} My Grand Champion County Fair Recipe - Gingersnap Sandwiches with Lemon Honey Cream

No lie, these quintessential American summer treats won not one but FOUR ribbons at the County Fair, including a blue ribbon for best of the class (Gingersnaps have their own category this year as the Offical Fair Treat), a purple ribbon for best of all baked goods, a purple ribbon for best of my age division and a triple rosette purple ribbon for Sweepstakes - i.e. best of ALL foods. I'm adding Food Champion to my business card.

While I'm certainly thrilled with the ribbons, I'm more proud of that fact that I had a vision of what I wanted to make, tested my recipes and they came out EXACTLY how I hoped. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this baking thing after all.

Without further ado, here's my recipe, exactly as I submitted it to the judges. Go ahead and give them a try - and if it's particularly hot outside I won't be offended if you substitute ice cream (especially THIS FLAVOR) for the filling. Two thumbs up to that!

Gingersnap Sandwiches with Lemon Honey Cream 

A Recipe by Pie Bird Blog

Cookies:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda (1 tsp for regular altitude)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup full-flavor molasses
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, minced
2 tbsp raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, and spices. In another bowl, cream butter and white sugar until fluffy. Add in the egg then orange juice, zest and molasses. Slowly stir in flour mix and then crystallized ginger. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll one side in raw sugar. Bake on ungreased sheets for 8 minutes, sugar-side up and spaced 2 inches apart. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes before placing on wire rack.

Cream Filling:
3/4 cup butter, softened
6 tbsp local honey
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar


Cream together butter and honey with a mixer. Add zest, vanilla and salt. Gradually add sugar until fluffy yet slightly stiff. Use a spatula to add filling to a small piping bag (any tip with a medium-large opening will do). Pip filling on the non-sugar side of one gingersnap, starting in the middle and leaving room around the edge. Sandwich with another cookie and press down slightly to adhere together. 

 Here's the proof!

Let the games begin! {Zucchini Caramel Rolls}

6 am wakeup. 6 beautiful creations.
County Fair entries due today!

It's {Baking} Christmas in July...

...which can only mean one thing: it's County Fair time.

While I do plenty of baking throughout the year, Christmas and the County Fair are my main excuses to bake like a maniac. Like a Harley-riding, leather apron-type baker.

I entered a local fair for the first time a couple years ago when I lived in another state and I was up against some tough ranchwoman competition (and still came out with a few ribbons!). Of course, I'm anticipating the same sort of butter-slinging, flour-coated ladies here in Montana, so I have to be super prepared.

On the other hand, I really like the opportunity to try new things and haven't typically picked my tried and true recipes for fairs. It's definitely counter-intuitive to enter baked goods on a wing and prayer, but like I said, MANIAC.

So here's what I'm entering this year, with my eye on a blue ribbon or two. (And hell, a purple one would be nice, too.) The Fair's "official baked good" this year is the gingersnap, so it gets its very own category.

Rosemary Shortbread Coins

Gingersnap Sandwiches with Honey Lemon Filling

Zucchini Caramel Rolls

I'm not sure why I went with zucchini in the caramel rolls, but it sounded earthy and delicious and County Fair-y. That, and I love these Zucchini Caramel Cupcakes from Taste of Home. I decided to give them a test run on the weekend to make sure I was able to suitably counteract the added moisture... and I think they turned out JUST fine:

Baking for a Wedding: In Photos

Sometimes you have to say YES to the baking.

And I did. 

Here's the proof in photos. 

My next post will include info on where I purchased supplies 

and how I planned for this big {delicious} undertaking.

TRIAL RUNS - Months Before

Stacking cakes and trying recipes for the first time!

PREPARATION - Days Before

After baking the cake layers, cupcakes are next up.

 Because I had to fly to the wedding and wasn't baking in my kitchen, I decided to use sturdy bakery boxes for storage and transport & had them shipped. I also shipped most supplies, including 2 24-count muffin pans to use in the double ovens. After fully cooled, I stacked the boxes and wrapped all of them together to help them from drying out overnight. 

DECORATION - Morning of the Wedding

Frostings were made in the morning and then cupcakes were decorated first. 

Thank goodness for sisters who roll out fondant for the wedding cake!

TRANSPORTATION - Hours Before

All 15 boxes of cupcakes were placed on the floor of an SUV with the seats down that had first been covered in non-slip shelf liner. With an hour drive to the location, better safe than sorry!

The cake/cake board was placed on non-slip shelf liner inside a box. The box was then placed on non-slip liner on top of a piece of wood (for carrying). Worked like a charm! The flowers for the topper were transported in a cooler and placed once the cake was safe on the table.

PARTY TIME

Cupcakes were placed on champagne glasses at each place setting, alternating flavors.

Cutting the cake! The cake stand is a vintage-style hat box with a floral design, which complimented the wedding colors and the historic gardens of the location.

Not the best angle (thanks, photographer) but I loved the look of satin ribbon layered with antique ivory lace. Wedding colors were champagne and pink. Flowers were sourced from a local grocer several days before the event and picked up the morning of the wedding for arranging. 

 Since the cake wasn't served to guests, big slices were boxed up and handed out to guests.

The Caramel Icing on a Dark Chocolate Cupcakes was truly divine. The second flavor was Fresh Cherry Frosting on Almond Cupcakes. A nice mix of summer and elegance.