Sweet victory: bakers of all ages show out for fair competition

Melissa Friess’ coconut caramel bars took the cake in this year’s King Arthur Baking Contest at the Northwest Montana Fair on Friday.  

The competition requires participants to work on a given recipe using the company’s flour. Home Culinary Superintendent Jenny Donais said this year’s recipes were grand prize coconut caramel bars for the adult division and Chocolate peppermint snaps for the kid's division. 

Friess has been participating in the baking contest for seven years and was ecstatic to win her first blue ribbon. She’s placed second and third in previous years, and always tries her hand in the pie contest. 

One thing she’s learned over the years is to be a stickler about the rules and following the recipe to a “T.” One year she got disqualified for having a lattice crust for her pie submission, which judges at the time decided did not count as a two-crust pie. It was a reminder to follow instructions closely, though there are other areas of the home culinary competitions that allow more creative freedom.  

Friess said it’s always fun to see the other creations and get to know bakers in the community.  

“I don't know how to explain it, but it's just so cool to have the opportunity to work alongside such experienced bakers,” she said.  

A good baker knows how to adjust — Friess said her first attempt at a caramel drizzle didn’t work, as she opted to use ice cream caramel topping instead of melting down caramels (per the recipe’s suggestion).  

But it all melted into the bars. The judges would be looking for distinct visual layers and that just wouldn’t cut it. Short on time and supplies, Friess drew on her faith.  

“I asked like the Lord what to do, and I had these Scottish caramels that my mother-in-law had brought back from Scotland. So, I thought to melt those down with some heavy cream, and it created the perfect caramel topping for the top,” Friess said.  

She’s not the only one who got a little creative with their submission. Micah Cochran, 9, won first place in the kid’s division with his version of the chocolate peppermint snaps. Ahead of judging, Cochran shared what he did to give his cookies a little extra pizazz.  

“We even put chocolate peppermint leaves with it,” he said. “[Baking] is actually really fun. I liked taste testing it.”  

His mother Cherith Cochran said she enjoyed the baking contest because it allows kids to gain confidence by creating a treat on their own.  

That sentiment was shared by Kim Anderson, who brought her granddaughters to the baking contest. Autumn Sunberg, 9, competed against her older sister Kensi this year, who will move on to the adult division next year when she turns 16.  

“I made it once before. I think the first time I made them, I liked it better,” Autumn Sunberg said. “When I first made that [batch] it was for us to eat.”  

Anderson laughed and said that it’s usually a good idea to save some of the cookies from the first batch just in case they prove better than the second. But it’s hard to resist a freshly baked cookie. 

Anderson received a third-place ribbon for her bars, while Autumn Sunberg walked away with the second-place prize in the kid’s division.  

“I think my favorite thing is it gives me time with my grandkids to do things together. And then we come out together. I actually get off work for the day, so we're going to just enjoy the fair,” Anderson said.  

The King Arthur Baking Contest is one of a slew of competitions in Home Culinary at the fair. Donais said other entries like those in the breads, cookies and cake categories were judged early in the week on Tuesday. One of the most popular contests, the 15th Great American Pie Contest, was held Saturday morning.  

In addition to Home Culinary, the best of the region’s quilts, produce, photography and art were on display in the Expo Building of the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Donais said that although dedicated participants return annually, she saw many new faces this year.  

“That's been kind of cool too, to have the newcomers come in. You see their expressions when they're like, ‘Oh, this is my first time, and I won first place,’ you know?” Donais said. 

    A caramel crown in the shape of the King Arthur Baking Company logo on one of the contestants' Grand Prize Coconut-Caramel Bars in the King Arthur Baking Competition at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Friday, Aug. 16. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Judges sample all the entries in the King Arthur Baking Competition at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Friday, Aug. 16. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Judges break apart and sample the entries in the King Arthur Baking Competition at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Friday, Aug. 16. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Melissa Friess' first-place ribbon next to the remainder of her Grand Prize Coconut Caramel Bars in the King Arthur Baking Competition at the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo on Friday, Aug. 16. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider