The Great Allentown Fair held 12 culinary contests during its five-day run. Here are the recipes that won first place in those contests.
PA PREFERRED JUNIOR BAKING COOKIES, BROWNIES & BARS CONTESTS
JULIEN’S STRAWBERRY JAM BARS WITH CARDAMON
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg yolk
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. ground cardamom
8 Tbsps. strawberry jam
1 lemon, for zest
2 Tbsps. chopped walnuts
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting over the top
Butter a 9-inch square metal baking pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Dough: In a bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Mix for about three minutes. Add the yolk and mix until just combined. Add flour all at once and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix for about 30 seconds. The dough will be in large crumbles.
Add the ground cardamom and mix with your fingers to incorporate into the dough. Take out 1 cup of the crumbled dough. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate. Put remaining dough into the pan and flatten with the flat bottom of a glass. Bake on the middle rack for about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan slightly, for at least 15 minutes.
Spread the fruit jam in an even layer over the surface of the crust. Zest the lemon right over the top of the jam, and sprinkle with chopped nuts and reserved crumble. Return to the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 90 minutes before cutting into bars.
— Julien Steele, Allentown
PIES GALORE PIE CONTEST (NO APPLE)
DELICIOUS BANBERRY (BANANA/STRAWBERRY) PIE
Crust
4 cups sifted flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsps. salt
½ cup cold water
1 ½ cups buttered Crisco
Whipped cream
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, at least 33% butterfat
1 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding
3 Tbsps. 10X confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
Banana Cream Filling
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsps. butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup whipped cream, homemade
4 medium bananas
Strawberry topping
1 pound fresh strawberries
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 ½ tsps. cornstarch
Crust: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in Crisco until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together egg, vinegar and water. Add flour mixture, Mix until dough is moistened enough so it holds together. When it is chilled, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. The recipe makes extra dough which can be frozen or used immediately for other baking. Place the dough in the pie plate and trim the edges. Cover the crust with parchment paper and fill the crust with pie weights, ensuring they cover the entire surface and reach the edges. Bake the pie crust at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes and then carefully remove the weights and parchment paper. Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for approximately 15 additional minutes or until done with a golden color.
Whipping cream: Place mixing bowl and attachment in freezer for 10-15 minutes. In chilled bowl, combine cold cream, 10X sugar, vanilla, and instant puffing mix. Use a stand mixer fitted with a whisking attachment or hand mixer. Start whipping the mixture at medium speed and gradually increase to medium high speed. Whip for 3-4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Do not over mix as it can lead to a grainy texture.
Banana cream filling: In a 2-quart saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and gelatin; with wire whisk, beat on milk and egg yolks. Cook mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened for about 15 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Slice 3 bananas. Fold 1 cup whipped cream and sliced bananas into custard. Spoon into bake pie crust and slice the remaining banana and arrange on top of pie. Chill until set.
Strawberry topping: Prepare strawberries by washing, hull and slice. Set aside about ⅓ of the sliced strawberries. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining strawberries and add sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes or until strawberries begin to break down and release their juices. In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Gradually pour the cornstarch slurry into the strawberry mixture stirring constantly but gentle to avoid lumps. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce begins to bubble in the center of the pot and thickens, for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the topping to cool to room temperature. It will thicken when it cools. Gently stir in the reserved fresh strawberry slices in the cooked sauce. Put in the refrigerator and chill.
Final assembly: After banana cream filling has set, spoon chilled strawberry topping over the top of the pie and decorate with whipped cream.
— Lorrie Rauch, New Tripoli
GOURMET CUPCAKES CONTEST
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES
Cupcakes
2 cups flour
¾ cup Special Dark cocoa
2 tsps. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsps. vanilla
1 cup brewed coffee
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 Tbsps. instant coffee
½ cup oil
Peanut Butter Filling
⅓ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
12 ½ Tbsps. powdered sugar
⅓ cup marshmallow fluff
2 Tbsps. milk
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
4 Tbsps. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup shortening
2 tsps. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
Chocolate ganache
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 bag Special Dark chocolate chips
Cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add oil. Mix buttermilk and eggs. Add vanilla. Dissolve instant coffee into 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add to batter. Mix well. Pour 1 cup into each large cupcake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until done.
Peanut Butter Filling: Combine all ingredients. Mix well.
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting: Mix flour and milk. Put through a strainer. Cook mixture on the stove until it becomes a paste, stirring constantly. Let cool. In another bowl, mix sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla. Add paste mixture. Add peanut butter. Mix.
Chocolate ganache: Warm whipping cream on stove. Add Special Dark chocolate chips, let melt. Mix. Drizzle over top of cupcakes.
After cupcakes are cooled, fill with Peanut Butter Filling and frost with Creamy Peanut Putter Frosting. Drizzle with chocolate ganache.
— Madison Stettler, Schnecksville
EDIBLE DESSERT ARRANGEMENTS CONTEST
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
½ cup peanut butter
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Clear Jel
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
20 oz. 55% dark couverture chocolate
Colored cocoa butter, optional
Mix the confectioners’ sugar and Clear Jel together in a bowl and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter and cream cheese. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in confectioners’ sugar mixture. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
Fold together the whipped cream and peanut butter/cream cheese mixture. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
If you want to decorate your bonbons, start by heating cocoa butter to 89 degrees. Decorate molds as desired. Let cocoa butter dry before moving on to the next step.
Next, temper chocolate. Heat chocolate in microwave, starting with 1 minute. Then continue to heat in 10 second intervals until a temperature of 87-89 degrees is achieved. If the mixture is too hot, allow to cool within this temperature range.
Fill chocolate molds with chocolate. Then drain to create an outer shell. Let set 10 minutes in the freezer.
Fill chocolate shells with prepared peanut butter filling. Leave ⅛-inch open at top of each mold cavity. Set in freezer for 1 hour.
Note: Set aside the rest of the peanut butter filling for the tarts.
Remove molds from freezer. Temper leftover chocolate to 87-89 degrees. Fill rest of the mold cavities with tempered chocolate.
Let set another hour in the freezer. Pop out of mold and serve.
Makes approximately 24 candies.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY TARTS
¼ cup cold butter
¼ cup shortening
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
¼ cup cold water
Peanut butter candy filling, leftover from candies
4 oz. dark chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream
½ cup seedless raspberry jam
Place flour, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 times.
Add butter and shortening to food processor and pulse 10-12 times.
Add egg yolks, pulse 5 times.
Add water slowly, up to ¼ cup, may need less, while running food processor on low until dough ball forms.
Form dough into 1-inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Let the crust set overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll chilled dough out on a floured surface. Cut 4-inch flowers using a cookie cutter. Place each flower in the cup of a mini cupcake pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
In the meantime, heat the heavy whipping cream for 30 seconds in microwave and pour over chocolate chips. Let set 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
Fill half of the flower crusts with peanut butter filling, from the candies. Let set in freezer 5 minutes.
Add a thin layer of chocolate ganache. Let set in freezer 5 minutes.
Add a thin layer of raspberry jam on top.
Decorate as desired.
Makes 12-16 tarts.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FLOWER BOUQUET
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups hot water
⅔ cups vegetable oil
2 tsps. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
Peanut Butter Buttercream
½ cup salted butter, softened
½ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 Tbsps. whole milk
Mini chocolate cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Divide batter evenly amongst 48 mini cupcake liners. Bake for 6-7 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes.
Peanut butter buttercream: Cream butter, shortening, and peanut butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar. Add whole milk. Beat until smooth, about 10 minutes. Decorate cupcakes as desired.
Makes about 48 cupcakes.
— Kaitlyn Moyer, Allentown
KING ARTHUR FLOUR SPECIALTY BREADS CONTEST ADULT
CHEESY FOCACCIA WITH PESTO BUTTER
Dough
4 cups King Arthur Bread Flour
1 ¾ cups warm water
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsps. instant yeast
1 tsp. honey
2 tsps. Fire sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil, to line pan
Toppings
1 cups fresh mozzarella, shredded
½ cup fresh Pecorino Romano, shredded
Pink of flaky sea salt
1 Tbsp. pesto
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
Whisk warm water, yeast, and together. Rest for 5 minutes. Add to a medium bowl.
Add olive oil, bread flour and salt to the wet mixture and mix well until a wet dough forms. Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Start a set of stretch and folds.
Rest dough for 15 minutes after first set of stretch and folds. Do another round of stretch and folds. Cover and proof in a warm place for 60-90 minutes.
Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking tray with parchment paper. Drizzle the bottom with lots of extra virgin olive oil until the bottom is well coated. Tip the dough out onto the tray. Fold one end of the dough into the middle and do the same to the other side so dough is in thirds. Flip the dough over so the long edge is along the long side of the pan. Cover and proof in a warm place for 60-90 minutes. Dough should be very light and jiggly.
Preheat the oven to 430 degrees. Stretch the dough to the corners of the pan. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and dimple the dough with fingers. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top.
Bake 20-22 minutes. Halfway through baking, top should be starting to lightly brown. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Finish baking until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted, brown and bubbly.
Remove bread from oven. Mix pesto and butter together. Use a brush to brush the butter on top while bread is still warm.
Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
— Lauryn Michael, Kempton
KING ARTHUR FLOUR YOUTH FAVORITE COOKE CONTEST YOUTH
FROSTY FUDGE PUDDLE COOKIES
2 cups sifted King Arthur Flour, all-purpose organic
½ cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 sticks butter, softened
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
Hershey Kisses
Hershey Hugs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix with whisk to blend. Cream together heavy cream, soft butter, dark brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Add dry mixture to creamed mixture. Lastly fold in milk chocolate chips. Make 2-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 12 minutes.
When cookies come out of the oven, place Hershey’s Kiss in the middle of the cookie. Let the kiss melt a little, then push the kiss down with a spoon to make a puddle icing, swirling it around the cookie. When the chocolate puddle is almost cool on the top of the cookie, place a Hershey’s Hug in the middle of the cookie.
— Sarah Welser, Nazareth
CLOVER HILL VINEYARDS & WINERY CHICKEN WINGS & DIPPING SAUCE CONTEST
OL DIRTY BETTY SAUCE
2 bottles Clover Hill Concord wine
1 quart Frank’s Original hot sauce
3 cups honey
3 cups light brown sugar
Empty wine into a pot and cook the alcohol out of the wine. In a metal bowl, combine the hot sauce, honey and light brown sugar. After the alcohol has been cooked out of the wine add the hot sauce mixture.
CHICKEN WINGS
5 pound bag Tyson chicken wings
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Take out wings and strain the juice off of them. In a bowl, toss salt and pepper on your wings. Then place on a baking sheet and bake at 325° for 50 minutes.
Coat wings in sauce and serve.
— Austin Dottery, Allentown
THE PAMPERED CHEF TORTE CONTEST
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE
Cake
2 ⅔ cups flour
1 cup cocoa
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 ¾ tsps. baking soda
1 ½ tsps. baking powder
1 ½ tsps. salt
3 large eggs
2 ¾ tsps. vanilla extract
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
1 ⅓ cups boiling water or coffee
Raspberry Cream Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 packs, .35-ounce each, whipping cream stabilizer
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsps. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup seedless black raspberry jam
Chocolate Frosting
1 pound butter, softened
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 ⅓ cups cocoa
½ cup whole milk
2 tsps. vanilla extract
Chocolate Mousse
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 packs, .35-ounce each, whipping cream stabilizer
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsps. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. vanilla extract
⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees/ Grease and flour four 8-inch cake pans. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl and add eggs one at a time and continue to mix for another 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 28 minutes or until done. Place cakes on cooling racks until cool.
Raspberry Cream Filling: Using a chilled bowl and beater, beat whipping cream and stabilizer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised. Set whipped cream aside. In a large mixing bowl, blend butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium high speed for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Fold whipped cream into raspberry mixture until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.
Chocolate Frosting: Beat butter until smooth. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cocoa alternately with milk and vanilla until smooth. Scrape bowl and beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy.
Chocolate Mousse: Using a chilled bowl and beater, beat whipping cream and stabilizer on medium high speed for 2 minutes or until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised. Set whipped cream aside. In a large bowl, blend butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed for about 1 minute or until well blended and smooth. Place chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds, stir and heat for an additional 30 seconds or until melted. Let cool. Add melted chocolate to mixture. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Fold whipped cream into mixture until blended. Refrigerate mousse until ready to assemble cake.
Assembly: Cut each cake layer in half horizontally to make 8 layers. Evenly spread ½-¾ cup raspberry filling on bottom layer of cake. Place another cake layer on raspberry filling. Evenly spread ½-¾ cup chocolate mousse on cake layer. Repeat sequence until all cake layers are used. Cover cake with chocolate frosting and decorate with fresh fruit, if desired.
— Sharon Kurtz, Emmaus
BECHDOLT’S ORCHARD FRESH PEACH DESSERT CONTEST
PEACH BUNDT CAKE
Cake
4 cups peaches, slice thin
4 tsps. cinnamon
½ cup sugar
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup orange juice
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. block of cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Cake: Mix together peaches, cinnamon and 1/2 cups sugar. Set aside.
Mix flour, 2 cups sugar, and baking powder. Add eggs, oil and orange juice. Beat until smooth. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Place 2 peaches, sliced, around the bottom of the pan. Pour in half of the batter. Add the peach mixture, then add the other half of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Combine all the ingredients. Frost the cooled cake.
— Pam Stettler, Schnecksville
BEST “NO BAKE” DESSERT CONTEST
NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PIE
Crust
2 cups crushed Peanut Butter Oreos
6 Tbsps. melted butter
Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
34 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz. container Cool Whip
Garnish
Chocolate Hershey bar shavings, optional
Crust: Stir crushed Oreos and butter until moist. Press into a 9-inch pie plate. Chill in refrigerator.
Filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar, then peanut butter, beating well after each addition. Reserve ½ cup of Cool Whip; fold in remaining Cool Whip into peanut butter mixture. Spoon in prepared pie pan. Cover, refrigerate about 6 hours or until set.
Garnish with reserved Cool Whip and chocolate savings.
— Rachel Richwine, Emmaus
HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE CONTEST
THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER CAKE
Cake
1 ¾ cups King Arthur flour, sifted, then measured
1 ½ tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsps. baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, PA Preferred
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup boiled wanted
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup Valrhona cocoa powder
2 tsps. espresso powder
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
4 ½ cups 10X powdered confectioners’ sugar, sifted, then measured
1 ½ tsps. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. salt
3 Tbsps. whole milk
Chocolate Frosting
¾ cup Half-and-Half
9 Tbsps. Hershey’s cocoa powder, or ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp.
⅜ tsp. salt
6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups unsalted butter
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
Reese’s Peanut Butter cups
Cake: In a large bowl, beat the sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Add boiled water and mix until smooth. Transfer the mixture equally into three greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans.
Peanut Butter Frosting: Cream together butter and peanut butter. Add 10X sugar a third at a time when mixing. Stir in vanilla and salt, then add milk at a low speed to mix, then increase to high speed for about 30 seconds.
Chocolate Frosting: Simmer Half-and-Half, cocoa powder, and salt in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in chopped bittersweet chocolate until smooth; cool 5 minutes. Beat softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.
Assembly: Place one cake upside down on cake server and top with 1 cup of peanut butter frosting, then add 1 cup of chocolate frosting. Repeat with the second layer. Place the final cake right side up and frost the top and sides with the chocolate frosting. Decorate the top edge and bottom of the cake by piping peanut butter and/or chocolate frosting.
Cut up small pieces of fresh Reese’s peanut butter cups and place on top of cake.
— Lorrie Rauch, New Tripoli
BLUE RIBBON APPLE PIE CONTEST
CARAMEL APPLE PECAN PIE
Crust
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbsps. ice-cold water
1 stick butter
¼ cup Crisco
Filling
8 cups thinly sliced apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsps. apple pie spice
16 oz. can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
Crumb topping
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
4 tsps. cold butter, small pieces
2 Tbsps. brown sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal
Caramel, to taste
Pecans, to taste
Crust: Add flour, salt, butter and Crisco in Cuisinart. Blend and gradually add ice-cold water. Makes 1 pie crust. Make 2 batches for the lattice crust on top.
Filling: Mix all ingredients together for apple filling. Cook on the stove until the apples soften. Let sit for an hour to cool. Place in pie crust.
Crumb topping: Mix all ingredients together. Put crumbs on top of the pie.
Take the second pie crust and make thin strips for the lattice topping. Flute edges. Bake at 350 degrees for about 56 minutes until the pie is golden brown and the apples are tender.
Drizzle caramel over pie. Add pecans to the top. Bake for 10 minutes to toast the pecans.
— Pam Stettler, Schnecksville
https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/13/allentown-fair-winning-recipes-2025/
