Several baking competitions will be held at the Elizabethtown Fair, which will run from Monday, Aug. 19, to Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Elizabethtown Fairgrounds, located on High Street. Entries will be received at the Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church, 996 E. High St., Elizabethtown, on Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Contests open to amateur bakers who are residents of Pennsylvania include the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest; the PA Preferred Junior Baking Cookies, Brownies, and Bars Contest; and the Homemade Chocolate Cake Contest. In addition, entries in these contests may not have won first place in their respective contest in any other 2024 fair.

Entries in the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest must be submitted in a disposable pan and include at least 60% apples in the filling. All ingredients and decorations must be edible. The recipe for the pie and pie crust must be submitted with the entry, be printed on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and list all ingredients, quantities, and preparation instructions. The entrant's name, address, and phone number must be printed on the back side of all pages. Pies will be judged on flavor, filling, crust, overall appearance, and creativity. The Blue Ribbon Apple Pie will be selected from the four first-place apple pies, which will be the first-place one-crust and two-crust pies in the adult and youth divisions.

The PA Preferred Junior Baking Cookies, Brownies, and Bars Contest is open to individuals ages 8 to 18. The entry must be six cookies, brownies, or bars. Entries must be made from scratch and include at least two PA Preferred ingredients. Any decorations must be edible. Entries must be submitted for judging on a food-safe, disposable setting. Recipes must be submitted with the entry, be printed on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and list all ingredients, quantities, and preparation instructions with the entrant's name, address, and phone number printed on the back of all pages. The PA Preferred ingredients, including the products' brand names, must be identified in the ingredient list. A list of acceptable products is available at http://www.papreferred.com. Judging criteria will include flavor, texture, inside characteristics, outside characteristics, and creativity.

The Homemade Chocolate Cake Contest entry must be a layered chocolate cake, with both the cake and frosting made from scratch. The cake recipe must feature chocolate or cocoa as a main ingredient, and the entire entry must be submitted for judging on cardboard or a disposable plate. All ingredients and decorations must be edible. Recipes must be submitted with the entry, be printed on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and list all ingredients, quantities, and preparation instructions with the entrant's name, address, and phone number printed on the back side of all pages. Judging criteria will be flavor, texture, inside characteristics, outside characteristics, and frosting.

In the annual Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest, entrants must submit an angel food cake made from scratch and include Pennsylvania produced and packed eggs if possible. All ingredients and decorations must be edible. Recipes must be submitted with the entry, be printed on one side of 8.5-by-11-inch paper, and list all ingredients, quantities, and preparation instructions with the entrant's name, address, and phone number printed on the back side of all pages. Judging criteria will be flavor, inside characteristics, overall appearance, creativity, and topping (icing or decoration). Entrants may not have won first place in the same contest at any other fair in 2024.

The Mars Wrigley Baking Contest will have three classes: Decorated Cake; Sheet, Layer, and Cupcakes; and Cookies, Brownies, and Bars. Classes are open to adults and youths except for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars, which is open to youths only. All entries must be made from scratch and include Mars Wrigley products in all batters. Where decorations are used, they must be Mars Wrigley products. A recipe must be submitted with all entries. Decorated entries will be judged on appearance, creativity, and use of product. All other entries will be judged on flavor, appearance, and use of product.

A Best of Show Decorated Cake Contest will also be held. The winner of the contest will be selected from all first-place decorated cakes in the youth and adult divisions entered in the Elizabethtown Fair.

Prizes will be awarded, and entries will be auctioned off at the annual Baked Goods Auction on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. Winners for most contests will advance to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg in January. For more information, call Barbara at 443-553-1497.

To learn more specifics for each baking contest or for details about the fair, visit http://www.etownfair.com and click on View Premium Book in the Exhibitors section.