Rigsby and Heerz Tie For First At Berlin Bake-Off

The Berlin Bake-Off 2012 was held Tuesday night at Berlin-Peck Memorial Library.

Evan Rigsby and Liz Heerz tied for first place. Rigsby made Sugared Doughnuts with black raspberry sauce and Heerz made Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

"Team Oakes" (Sophia and Julia Oakes), who made Toasted Coconut Marshmallows came in second.

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH BROWN BUTTER ICING:

• *       FOR THE COOKIES
•      2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
•      1 teaspoon baking powder
•      1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
•     1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•     1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
•     3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•      3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
•      2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
•      2 large eggs
•      1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)
•     3/4 cup evaporated milk
•     1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•  FOR THE ICING
•      4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
•     10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
•     1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk
•     2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Directions

1.      Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together
flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in
a medium bowl; set aside.
2.      Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and
fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin,
evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes.
Add flour mixture; mix until combined.
3.      Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a
1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto
parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies,
rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12
minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to
wire racks; let cool completely.
4.      Make icing: Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan
occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add
butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and
bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth.
Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir
in more evaporated milk, a little at a time.

Easy Sugared Doughnuts using Pillsbury Biscuit Dough:
Ingredients: 2 quarts oil for deep frying
                1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuit dough
                1 cup sugar
Directions: Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees.  Separate out the biscuits and cut a hole in the middle of each one, like you would a doughnut.  Carefully slide doughnuts into hot oil.  Fry until golden brown on both sides.  Drain briefly on wire racks placed over baking sheets.  Place the sugar in a bowl and roll the hot doughnuts in the sugar.

He made a black raspberry sauce for dipping.