Sticky Situation Has a Happy Ending
Submitted by Editor on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 3:30pm.
Sue Bowman
Southeastern Pa. Correspondent
HARRISBURG, Pa. — It was a “sticky situation” Friday night at the Pennsylvania Farm Show when 62 entries vied in the new sticky bun competition. The sticky bun contest took the place of the former shoofly pie competition held previously at the Farm Show.
The competition’s five judges were faced with the daunting task of tasting pans of sticky buns that completely covered five tables. Each judge started out by tasting all 12-13 sticky bun entries from one table and narrowing those choices down to the top four. With the top 20 contenders in place, the judges then took a deep breath and set about sampling a taste of each of the final round of sweet treats.
Throughout the event, an enthusiastic audience of as many as 75 looked on. A good number of the sticky bun bakers were in that crowd and eagerly watched for the judges’ reactions. The remaining onlookers eyed the judges enviously, awaiting the end of the competition when free samples of the entries would be made available.
Gerri Moore, of the Farm Show staff, who emceed the event, said early on, “I never had a sticky bun I didn’t like.” The judges appeared to agree with her. Said Bill Piper of his judging duties, “This isn’t easy. There are some very different tastes here, different toppings and different consistencies.” Fellow judge and Secretary of the Farm Show Commission, Bob Oberheim agreed and acknowledged, “This really challenges us as judges. Only a few points will separate the top ten.”
In the end, the judges awarded the blue ribbon and a check for $500 to the sticky buns baked by Belinda Myers, a beautician from Dallastown, York County. Myers, who is a regular competitor in baking events and won last year’s top prize in the shoofly contest, said that she “just practiced and practiced;” she experimented with various sticky bun recipes until she found one she liked and “changed it a little bit.” She came into the contest feeling confident, and was further buoyed by being assigned the number “one” as her entry number, which she took as a lucky sign. Joked Myers, who is also employed at the Perry Dell Dairy Store, “I told the ladies at work they might as well all stay home. I’m winning!”
Questioned after the judging, two of the judges termed the winning sticky buns a “definitive” choice that stood out from the other entries. One described Myers’ creation as “not gooey, but not dry,” while the other called it “a beautiful blend of brown sugar and cinnamon,” and both agreed: “It just melted in your mouth.” For her part, Myers said she “just wanted to make an old-fashioned sticky bun” and attributed her success to the use of sugar, butter and lard in her creation.
Other top five winners in the Sticky Bun Contest were: Greta Slagill, Dillsburg, York County, second place and $100; Alicia Knab, Hollidaysburg, Blair County, third place and $50; Eva Seibert, Allentown, Lehigh County, fourth place; and Brenda Harper, Furnace, Centre County.
Ron Glessner, spokesperson for sponsor Good Foods Inc., noted that his company had also sponsored the Farm Show’s cornbread baking contest earlier in the week. “Baking is a great way to create memories and pass on family traditions in a fast-paced world,” he said. He told the audience to start preparing for another sticky bun competition at the 2011 Farm Show, but indicated that the cornbread contest would likely be replaced by another, as yet undetermined, baking competition.
Judges for the event, in addition to Piper, retired CFO for the Farm Show and Oberheim, included Senator Mike Waugh, Paula Vitz of Capital Associates and Pennsylvania Jury Judge Howard Burrell.
Here is Myers’ winning recipe.
B’s Sticky Buns
Dough:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoon dried potato flakes
1 cup water lukewarm
2 packages dry yeast
6-1/2 cups flour
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter, divided
Glaze:
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup diced pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, lard and salt for dough. Pour scalded milk over mixture. Cool. In a small bowl combine yeast and warm water. Set aside to dissolve. When milk mixture is cooled, add eggs and potato flakes. Then add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour until soft dough forms. Knead lightly. Place in a greased bowl until double in size.
Divide dough in half. Roll out on floured surface into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Spread with half of the soft butter. Evenly spread half of sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up long side and seal. Cut into 1-inch dowels.
Prepare glaze by mixing all but pecans in a medium bowl. Grease 24 2-3/4-inch custard cups. Place 1 tablespoon of glaze at bottom. Divide pecans on top. Place one dowel in each cup. Let rise until double.
Place in a 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and cool for 2 minutes. Flip out. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Also can be baked in an 8-inch square cake pan with 9 in each.)
Sue BowmanSoutheastern Pa. Correspondent
HARRISBURG, Pa. — It was a “sticky situation” Friday night at the Pennsylvania Farm Show when 62 entries vied in the new sticky bun competition. The sticky bun contest took the place of the former shoofly pie competition held previously at the Farm Show.
The competition’s five judges were faced with the daunting task of tasting pans of sticky buns that completely covered five tables. Each judge started out by tasting all 12-13 sticky bun entries from one table and narrowing those choices down to the top four. With the top 20 contenders in place, the judges then took a deep breath and set about sampling a taste of each of the final round of sweet treats.
Throughout the event, an enthusiastic audience of as many as 75 looked on. A good number of the sticky bun bakers were in that crowd and eagerly watched for the judges’ reactions. The remaining onlookers eyed the judges enviously, awaiting the end of the competition when free samples of the entries would be made available.
Gerri Moore, of the Farm Show staff, who emceed the event, said early on, “I never had a sticky bun I didn’t like.” The judges appeared to agree with her. Said Bill Piper of his judging duties, “This isn’t easy. There are some very different tastes here, different toppings and different consistencies.” Fellow judge and Secretary of the Farm Show Commission, Bob Oberheim agreed and acknowledged, “This really challenges us as judges. Only a few points will separate the top ten.”
In the end, the judges awarded the blue ribbon and a check for $500 to the sticky buns baked by Belinda Myers, a beautician from Dallastown, York County. Myers, who is a regular competitor in baking events and won last year’s top prize in the shoofly contest, said that she “just practiced and practiced;” she experimented with various sticky bun recipes until she found one she liked and “changed it a little bit.” She came into the contest feeling confident, and was further buoyed by being assigned the number “one” as her entry number, which she took as a lucky sign. Joked Myers, who is also employed at the Perry Dell Dairy Store, “I told the ladies at work they might as well all stay home. I’m winning!”
Questioned after the judging, two of the judges termed the winning sticky buns a “definitive” choice that stood out from the other entries. One described Myers’ creation as “not gooey, but not dry,” while the other called it “a beautiful blend of brown sugar and cinnamon,” and both agreed: “It just melted in your mouth.” For her part, Myers said she “just wanted to make an old-fashioned sticky bun” and attributed her success to the use of sugar, butter and lard in her creation.
Other top five winners in the Sticky Bun Contest were: Greta Slagill, Dillsburg, York County, second place and $100; Alicia Knab, Hollidaysburg, Blair County, third place and $50; Eva Seibert, Allentown, Lehigh County, fourth place; and Brenda Harper, Furnace, Centre County.
Ron Glessner, spokesperson for sponsor Good Foods Inc., noted that his company had also sponsored the Farm Show’s cornbread baking contest earlier in the week. “Baking is a great way to create memories and pass on family traditions in a fast-paced world,” he said. He told the audience to start preparing for another sticky bun competition at the 2011 Farm Show, but indicated that the cornbread contest would likely be replaced by another, as yet undetermined, baking competition.
Judges for the event, in addition to Piper, retired CFO for the Farm Show and Oberheim, included Senator Mike Waugh, Paula Vitz of Capital Associates and Pennsylvania Jury Judge Howard Burrell.
Here is Myers’ winning recipe.
B’s Sticky Buns
Dough:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoon dried potato flakes
1 cup water lukewarm
2 packages dry yeast
6-1/2 cups flour
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter, divided
Glaze:
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup diced pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, lard and salt for dough. Pour scalded milk over mixture. Cool. In a small bowl combine yeast and warm water. Set aside to dissolve. When milk mixture is cooled, add eggs and potato flakes. Then add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour until soft dough forms. Knead lightly. Place in a greased bowl until double in size.
Divide dough in half. Roll out on floured surface into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Spread with half of the soft butter. Evenly spread half of sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up long side and seal. Cut into 1-inch dowels.
Prepare glaze by mixing all but pecans in a medium bowl. Grease 24 2-3/4-inch custard cups. Place 1 tablespoon of glaze at bottom. Divide pecans on top. Place one dowel in each cup. Let rise until double.
Place in a 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and cool for 2 minutes. Flip out. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Also can be baked in an 8-inch square cake pan with 9 in each.)
