Warren County 4-H members took their skills to the kitchen to make delicious creations in the annual bread baking contest held recently. Students in fourth through twelfth grade competed in various categories including biscuits, cornbread, flavored muffins, flavored loaf bread, pies, iced cakes, non-iced cakes and a fun division cake wars, where intricately decorated cakes were submitted.
Winners include: fourth-grade biscuits - Zoie Conner, Michelle Oritz and Keyle Rhea; fifth-grade cornbread, Austin Conner, Connor Smith and Molly Dodd; sixth-grade flavored muffins, Hannah Bailey, Elizabeth Baker and Will Prater; seventh-eighth grade flavored loaf bread; ninth-twelfth-grade pies; Elizabeth Baker, Will Prater and Clay Prater; ninth-twelfth grade iced cakes, Nate Baker, Clay Prater and Tommy Smith; ninth-twelfth grade non-iced cakes, Dakoda Watts, Lauren Mansfield and Greg Norton; and Cake Wars winners are Lauren Myers, Noah Murphy and Keaton McGinness. 
Some of the winning recipes follow:

Lemon-Berry Cream Cheese Cake by Noah Murphy

3-ounce package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups of white granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter softened
4 eggs
2 ¾ cups of sifted cake flour
2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup of pureed strawberries
Frosting:
1/3 cup thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate (reserve remaining)
1 2lb bag of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of cream cheese
5 tablespoons of salted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add dry ingredients alternating with combined milk, puree and vanilla. Divide batter evenly into cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Directions: (frosting)
In a large bowl, cream together all ingredients. Gradually add remaining lemonade concentrate until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate until ready to frost cake.
Garnish with fondant strawberries and lemons.

The Best Chocolate Pie by Will Prater
2 cups of sugar
½ cup of flour
½ cup of Hershey's Cocoa
4 ¼ cups of whole milk
6 eggs at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter
teaspoons vanilla

Meringue:
6 egg whites
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, milk and eggs and mix well. Pour into large microwave safe bowl and microwave for 5-10 minutes until a pudding like texture is reached.
Remove from microwave carefully and stir in butter and vanilla Pour into baked pie crusts and allow to set.
Meringue:
Combine all ingredients and beat until stiff peak forms.
Place onto pie and bake until peaks are golden brown.

Chocolate Bundt Cake by Lauren Mansfield

1 box of dark chocolate cake mix
1 package of instant chocolate pudding mix
1 16-ounce container of sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool and top with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Muffins by Hannah Bailey

3 cups of sugar
1 cup of oil
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 1/3 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 cup of chopped pecans
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix with mixer for 3 minutes on high. Stir in pecans, Divide into baking pans or cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
*Makes 2 large loaf pans or muffin pans

Simple Buttermilk Biscuits by Keyle Rhea

2 cups of self-rising flour
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
¼ cup of shortening
3/4 cup of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut shortening into flour and baking soda until they are fine as coarse crumbs. Add milk and stir with fork. Turn dough on to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth.
Roll dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a floured biscuit cutter or juice glass. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes

Banana Bread
by Ethan Hitchcock

1 cup of flour
½ cup of oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ cup of chopped nuts
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 large ripe bananas mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and pour into pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Southern Cornbread
by Austin Conner

1 cup of corn meal
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of butter (softened or melted)
2 eggs beaten
1 ½ cup of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease pan or skillet.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy.