Cranberry Zinger Bars wins first place in the Eagle Brand Great Baking Bonanza at the State Fair

RALEIGH – Denise Walker of Cary won first place and $100 in the Eagle Brand Great Baking Bonanza contest for her Cranberry Zinger Bars recipe. Samuel Barefoot of Benson won second place and $75 with his Pecan Sandies recipe, and Elise Easterling of Chapel Hill won third place and $50 for her Black Bottom Key Lime Cheesecake.

Judges also awarded honorable mention best youth entry, $25 and five free product coupons to Tyler Bowles, 13, of King for her Lemonade Pie recipe. Each winner received an apron, ribbon and award certificate.

Judging was based on taste, convenience and creativity.

The winning recipe follows:

Cranberry Zinger Bars

1 14 ounce can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 box vanilla wafers
1 stick margarine (melted)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup orange flavored Craisins (dried cranberries) *
½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed (or place wafers in a sealed Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin). Mix crushed vanilla wafers and melted margarine together in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture evenly into a 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Layer the white chocolate chips, Craisins, macadamia nuts and coconut evenly over the crust. Pour the sweetened condensed milk on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove dish from oven and allow to cool. Cut into squares. Makes 20 bars.

*If orange flavored dried cranberries are hard to find, combine 1 cup of dried cranberries with ½ cup of orange juice and one tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl. Stir mixture well. Allow cranberries to soak in orange juice mixture for 15 minutes. Strain the cranberries and spread them out on wax paper to dry. Store in a covered container until ready to use.

-lpm-

Pecan Sandies Cheesecake
Second Place: Samuel Barefoot, Benson

Crust

1 ½ cups pecan sandies
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted margarine

Ingredients

1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup water
1 box cheesecake pudding and pie filling
2-16 ounce honey nut cream cheese spreads
1-8 ounce cream cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip cream
Pecans

Mix Crust ingredients and put in a spring form pan. Heat Eagle Brand milk, water, and pudding mix until thick. Set aside. Cream together cream cheeses, eggs and vanilla. Mix with pudding mixture and pour onto crust. Bake for 50 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove, cool and chill. Before serving, garnish with whip cream and pecans.

Black Bottom Key lime Cheesecake
Third Place: Elise Easterling, Chapel Hill

Crust

1 1/2 cup crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined. Press mixture into, and up 1/2' of the sides, of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Filling

4-8oz. cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1-14 ounce can + 1/3 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup fresh limejuice
12 ounce white chocolate, melted

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beat well after each. Beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Pour 1/4 of the batter into a separate bowl. To that batter beat in semisweet chocolate, beat until combined. Pout the chocolate batter on top of the crust. To the remaining batter beat in limejuice and white chocolate, beat well. Pour the batter on top of the chocolate batter in the spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour, or until center is set. Cool and Chill for 4 hours.

Topping

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

Beat cream until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar until combined. Spread on top of cheesecake. Enjoy!

* Can garnish and serve with fresh strawberries and blueberries, if desired

Lemonade Pie
Honorable Mention: Tyler Bowles, King (13 years old)

6 ounces graham cracker crust
14 ounces Eagle brand milk
1 small can pink lemonade
8 ounce Cool Whip

In medium bowl, combine the milk, lemonade and Cool Whip. Pour into piecrust. Freeze 1 to 2 hours.