Three Valley residents win baking prizes

Crystal Waddington of Harrah is this year's Central Washington State Fair blue-ribbon winner in the Bake Your Best Coffee Cake contest sponsored by Saco Foods.

Waddington won the grand prize with her Maple Walnut Coffee Cake, and was awarded $150, according to a Saco news release.

Richard Calhoon of Yakima won second place, and $100, for his Buttermilk Apple Coffee Cake, and Amber Kimes of Yakima won third place, and $75, for Zesty Blue Coffee Cake.

The Madison, Wis.-based Saco Foods produces a family of baking products, including Cultured Buttermilk Blend, Premium Baking Cocoa, Chocolate Chunks and Dolci Frutta fruit dipping chocolate. For more information and recipes from Saco Foods, go to www.sacofoods.com.

Following are the three winning recipes.

Maple Walnut
Coffee Cake

First Place

11/2 sticks or 12 tablespoons butter

11/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

11/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend

1/4 cup sour cream

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

11/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup walnut, chopped

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix streusel ingredients and set aside.

In mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, Buttermilk Blend and sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add flour mixture to batter. Spoon half of the batter into a pan and sprinkle with 3/4 cup of streusel. Spoon the rest of the cake mixture into the pan and sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of cake. Bake 50 minutes.

Mix together glaze and drizzle onto cooled cake.

Buttermilk Apple Coffee Cake

Second Place

Crust:

12/3 cups oatmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

13/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, melted

Filling:

4 egg yolks

11/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend

2 cups apples, diced and cooked until soft

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9-by-13-inch pan. In a mixing bowl, mix all of crust ingredients. Press half into pan and bake until golden. Cool. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix all of filling ingredients and heat until it thickens. Spread mixture over cooled crust. Crumble remaining half of crust over top. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Cool and place in refrigerator.

Zesty Blue
Coffee Cake

Third Place

10 tablespoons butter, soft

2 eggs

2 tablespoons orange rind

1 teaspoon vanilla

21/2 cups flour

11/2 teaspoons baking powder

11/4 cups Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend (mix 11/4 cups water and 5 tablespoons Buttermilk Blend)

2 cups blueberries

Pinch of salt

Streusel:

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup oats

4 tablespoons butter, cold

In small bowl, mix streusel ingredients and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 8-by-8-inch pan.

In mixing bowl, mix butter, eggs, rind and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and add Buttermilk Blend. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter in pan. Sprinkle top with streusel and a few blueberries. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.