22 fair recipes

County fair banana pie with a chocolate chip layer on the bottom, rum-spiked banana cream filling, and whipped cream with chopped pecans. A blue-ribbon worthy layered banana cream pie.

State fair zucchini cake: a spiced sheet cake with shredded zucchini, walnuts, and golden raisins, topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Blue-ribbon classic.

Honey cut-out cookies with lemon extract, rolled thin and baked until lightly golden. A sturdy dough that holds its shape for holiday decorating with powdered sugar glaze.

Homemade funnel cakes just like the state fair, with crispy fried spirals and a snowfall of powdered sugar. A simple batter poured through a funnel for that classic carnival treat.

Banana cream pie with a buttery pecan-shortbread crust, a thin chocolate layer, vanilla custard folded with whipped cream and fresh bananas. Makes two pies for the county fair winner's circle.

Rescue ruined fudge by turning it into rich, dense brownies with just eggs, flour, and milk. The clever 4-ingredient solution for fudge that came out too hard, too soft, or too runny.

From the first time I made this fudge it was a hit! I had family and friends asking "When are you going to make more fudge?" And it's so easy I can make it anytime!

It is a never fail whole wheat bread recipe, have made this bread for years, it has never failed.

Never fail chocolate cake with sour milk, cocoa, and a splash of boiling water for a tender, deeply chocolatey bundt. The classic forgiving recipe that bakes up moist every time.

Microwave fudge with chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, and unsweetened baking chocolate. A foolproof candy recipe that skips the candy thermometer and takes just 10 minutes to cook.

Fruits afire is a flambe dessert with canned pears, apricots, and bing cherries in a reduced cinnamon-apricot syrup, finished tableside with flaming rum. A dramatic, retro showstopper.

No-fail bagels boil shaped dough rings in water before baking on cornmeal-dusted pans, yielding the chewy interior, glossy crust and dense crumb of a true New York-style bagel.

Foolproof lasagna with ground beef in tomato sauce, layered with ricotta and mozzarella, then topped with a creamy parmesan béchamel for the crowning finish.

Foolproof frying batter with flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and water. No eggs needed. Crispy, light, and works on any vegetable, fish, or seafood.

Never-fail fudge with marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter, and walnuts. A foolproof candy recipe that reaches soft-ball stage in 5 minutes of boiling and fills two 9x9 pans.

Never fail pastry is a five-ingredient single-crust pie shell with shortening and a touch of baking powder for extra tenderness. Forgiving dough for beginner bakers.