Marinas Delicious

Bacon Brownies

Marina Martin-Fonseca, Allentown

Bacon topping:

1/2 package bacon

Brownies:

2/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

6 T. vegetable oil

1 T. vanilla

8 T. cocoa

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Maple cream cheese frosting:

11 oz. cream cheese

2/3 cups butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup pancake syrup

Garnish:

7 oz. chocolate bar, any brand

Bacon topping: Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and fry in a skillet until very crispy. Pat dry to remove excess oil. Set aside.

Brownies: Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa) in a bowl. Set aside. Mix eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar in mixer bowl. Add chocolate chips. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until combined. Pour batter into a greased 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake at 350º 25 to 35 minutes until done. Cool completely.

Maple cream cheese frosting: Combine cream cheese, butter and both syrups. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix well. Store completed frosting in refrigerator until you are ready to frost the brownies. Frost brownies and sprinkle with bacon. Make chocolate curls by running a potato peeler on the edge of a chocolate bar. Add chocolate curls over top of bacon bits (as many as you like).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Emily Hartkorn, Blue Bell

Bars:

1 cup All-purpose Flour, PA Preferred - Daisy Organic All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 sticks butter, softened

2 eggs, PA Preferred (Weis brand)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup milk, PA Preferred (Giant brand)

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

1. Heat oven to 350º F.

2. In bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt) and mix together.

3. Beat butter and eggs in large mixing bowl until fluffy, add vanilla and eggs.

4. Add flour mixture gradually, then add peanut butter.

5. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.

6. Spread batter in greased 9x13 pan.

7. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.

8. Cut into bars, let cool.

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 heaping cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1. Cream together the peanut butter and butter.

2. Add the powdered sugar and mix.

3. Pour in the heavy cream and mix.

4. Add pinch of salt.

5. Beat for 3-4 minutes.

6. Add dollop of frosting on each cut bar.

Gold Coin Cookies

James Harada, Emmaus

1 cup PA Preferred Grube’s Dairy butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large PA Preferred Weis egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups PA Preferred Brown’s flour, Fleetwood, Pa.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in egg and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2 inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350º. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about a half inch apart. Once you have made 30 cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time. Bake for 8 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely. Frost the cooled cookies with the Golden Icing (below).

Golden Icing:

1 large PA Preferred Weis egg white

2 to 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

yellow food coloring

Whisk egg white in a small bowl at high speed until foamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring. Increase mixer speed to high and whisk until icing is stiff.