FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – There are several special baking contests at the Minnesota State Fair in which bakers can showcase their delectable treats.
The winners of one such baking contest, the Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest, came by the KARE Barn to share their award-winning recipes.
Rosemary Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
(Recipe from Karalyn Joiner of New Brighton, 2014 Minnesota State Fair, Gold Medal Cookie Contest)
1 lbs. butter
8 oz. sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup cream
24 oz. flour
1 vanilla bean
2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Glaze:
Lemon juice
Powdered sugar
Milk
Directions
Combine butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks and cream. Mix well. Stir in flour then add seeds of vanilla bean, lemon zest and rosemary. Stir until just blended. Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Bake cookie cutouts at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes, rotating halfway. After cookies are completely cooled, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar to make a thin glaze. Dip the cookies top side down into glaze or drizzle into tops of cookies. Let cookies sit until glaze is dry.
Perfect Sugar Cookies
(Recipe from Jessica Harm of Rochester, 2014 Minnesota State Fair, Gold Medal Cookie Contest)
Ingredients
3 cups Gold Medal Flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extract. With the mixer on the lowest setting, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape the bowl well while mixing since the dough will be crumbly at the bottom. Form dough into a disc and chill, if desired or roll out on parchment paper. Cut out in desired shapes and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes at a time and rotate pan, then 5 or 6 minutes more. Check for light brown around the edges. Move to cooling rack. Decorate as desired.
For more great cookie recipes, click here.
