Every year the cooking contests at the county fair seem to get bigger and better. Competition is friendly with new participants each year. Ingredients are also changing as judges look for new trends and fresh use of local produce, herbs and local products such as Young’s Dairy cheeses.

 An interesting point this year was more youth participants with difficult and easy recipes winning the judge’s approval. While 12-year-old Paul Thibeault’s Little Pizzas may sound familiar, they are a different, easy take on the kid-favorite snack. Paul entered them in the Youth Cooking contest, geared for 13-year-old and under Clark County residents and won first place.
On the more difficult end of the cooking scale, 15-year-old Emily Wells took first place with her Sweet Potato-Pecan-Caramel-Bourbon Pound Cake in the Any Dessert contest. The four step sugary delight takes patience and a bit of time, but as the judges and everyone who sampled it agreed, it was well worth it. Emily adds the blue ribbon to her collection of many including the Creative Achievement Award this year. 
Little Pizzas
1 lb. bacon, fried, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 med. onion, chopped, cooked in bacon grease, drained
Rye party bread

Mix bacon, cheeses, drained onion together until well blended.
Spread on rye party bread slices and bake at 400 degrees.
Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

 

Sweet Potato Pecan Caramel Bourbon Pound Cake

Pecan/Caramel/Marshmallow Streusel:
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup butterscotch chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Bourbon/Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake:
1 cup butter
2 ½ cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Finishing touches:
½ cup toasted pecans
Marshmallow sauce for drizzling
Chopped butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an angel food cake pan
with parchment paper cutouts, held in place with nonstick cooking
spray. Spray the pan interior again to ensure no sticking. Line a
baking sheet with parchment paper, place cake pan on it.

For streusel-in a large bowl, crumble ingredients to make a coarse
mixture. Set aside.

For cake- in mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Blend in eggs,
whipping cream, vanilla. Mix well, then add sweet potatoes.
Sift together dry ingredients and fold into creamed mixture.
Spoon 2/3 of batter into cake pan. Sprinkle streusel over top.
Add remaining batter.  Bake until cake springs back when touched.
about 90 minutes. Then turn oven down to325 degrees and bake
Another 25 minutes. When finished let cool for 30 to 40 minutes
in pan before turning out onto serving platter.

For glaze-heat butter and brown sugar in small saucepan, cooking
it until bubbly for about 5 to 8 minutes. It should be slightly thickened.
Remove from stove. Stir in powdered sugar, bourbon and vanilla.
Drizzle glaze over cake. Sprinkle pecans. Let cool for 30 to
60 minutes. Then drizzle on the marshmallow sauce and butterscotch
chips.