Mmmmm…chocolate. All of these mouthwatering chocolate cookies and cakes at the 147th Wayne County Fair looked and tasted delicious. Our own hometown master chefs created these tempting creations and were competing in Hershey’s Cocoa Classic baking contest at the Wayne County Fair in August.

Hometown bakers outdid themselves this year with their sumptuous chocolate creations. This year’s Hershey’s Cocoa Classic cake contest winner is Sherry Grover, Honesdale with her winning recipe “Hershey’s Fudgy Sour Cream Black Forest Cake.

Not to be outdone by the decadent cakes entered, the contest featured equally tantalizing cookies, brownies and bars. This contest was strictly for the younger bakers showcasing the talents of competitors between the ages of 8 and 18. The head chef in this baking arena, who also came in second with her cake entry, is Grace Nebzydoski, Honesdale with the winning cookie recipe entitled “Cow Pie Cookies.” “Not only were they delicious, the name itself is a winner,” stated Judy Muller, coordinator of the Hershey contest at The Wayne County Fair. Ms Nebzydoski won first place in the contest over 10 other entries. Carson Klikus was the second place winner and Matthew Cordts placed third in the cookie baking competition. The winning recipes are:

HERSHEY’S FUDGY SOUR CREAM BLACK FOREST CAKE
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs – room temperature
-Cream together in a large bowl the butter and sugar then blend in one egg at a time.

In an alternate bowl sift together:
2½ cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Combine the sifted ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture beating in alternately with 1 cup of sour cream until all are blended.
In two cups glass measuring cup mix ¾ cup “Hershey Cocoa (unsweetened) and 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until all lumps are gone. Allow to cool while preparing three 10 inch round cake pans with butter and flour. Stir cocoa mixture again and slowly add into the cake mix tempering the mix a little to assure the eggs don’t curdle. Once completely blended divide between the three pans and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on wire racks while preparing frosting. Prep time- approx. 20 minutes.

RICH FUDGY “HERSHEY’S” FROSTING - Make 10 cups
Ingredients:
1 bag of Hershey’s special extra dark truffles nuggets
2 cups butter – softened – no substitutions
2½ cups HERSHEYS cocoa (unsweetened)
9 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups (plus additional) French vanilla cream
1 8oz. block softened cream cheese
1 can of Pie Cherries
In a very large bowl beat butter until completely softened. In a separate large bowl sift together the Hershey
Cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar. Start beating in the dry ingredients 2 cups at a time. Once the mixture starts to stiffen (usually after the 4th cup is added) add the vanilla and begin alternating the creamer with the dry ingredients. Once complete the mixture should be very y stiff. Remove to a separate bowl, two heaping cups of frosting. Continue to beat the remaining frosting and drizzle in additional creamer – adding enough to be firm yet fluffy.
Front the cake layers with this frosting adding a layer of cherry Pie filling on tip. State the 3 layers – finishing with the frosting over the entire out of the cake. Set aside while finishing the reserved frosting for decorating.
Scrape the remaining frosting into a storage container and set aside.
Place softened cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the reserved frosting and beat until blended.
Frost the first layer with this frosting over the top. Fill a piping bag and decorate the base of the cake with this frosting. Clean the bag.
Now fill the bag with darker frosting and decorate the top edge of the cake so there is a border or fence to prevent the cherries from escaping the top. Make a circle of cherry filling around the top next to the chocolate edge – fence. In the very center make a nice little tower of the Fudgy Hershey’s frosting .Bank the tower with 5 pieces of Hershey’s’ nuggets truffles special dark.
Cake should be kept cool due to the butter frosting.

COW PIE COOKIE RECIPES
Grace Nebzydoski – Makes 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 -3 oz pkg Cream cheese
¾ cup stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup of peanut butter
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup Hershey’s baking cocoa
1 tsp salt
½ pkg Hershey Milk Chocolate chips – 11 ½ ox sixe
½ pkg of Reese’s peanut butter chips

Heat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and grease with shortening.
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low until fluffy; add sugars vanilla
almond extract, eggs and ice cream topping. Beat until fluffy.
Stir in flour, cocoa baking soda and salt to the butter mixture until evenly mixed.
Fold in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls about two inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 13-15 minutes, cool 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Hershey’s Cocoa Classic is co-sponsored by Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs and The Hershey Company, a leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products. More than 100 fairs across the commonwealth offered cash prizes as part of the Hershey Cocoa Classic. The Wayne County Fair’s contest is a preliminary competition that leads to the selection of the final Hershey cocoa Classic blue ribbon winner head each January at the Pennsylvania State Farm show in Harrisburg, PA.