Entering the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair is like taking a peek into hundreds of kitchens around the state.
Glass cases holding jars of fruits, vegetables, jellies, honey, maple syrup and more line the walls. Nearby, the large walk-in coolers hold rows of cookies, cakes, muffins, breads and other baked goods.
Many will enter the annual Creative Activities competitions, vying for a ribbon, but few will win. One of the lucky ones is Gina Walker of Savage, who was awarded a blue ribbon in one of the special contests — the Splenda Magic Baker "Low-To-No Sugar Showdown" — for her No-Sugar Gourmet Banana Bread recipe. Walker had never entered a contest before, but her friend, who has diabetes, encouraged her to enter this no-sugar treat. In addition to a blue ribbon, she won $200. (More winning recipes are at BlueRibbonGroup.net.)
Curious who won the ribbons this year? Find all the winners in the baking, canning and specialty categories at mnstatefair.org/competitions/creative-activities, including a digital archive of past winners.
Makes 2 loaves, or about 24 servings.
From Gina Walker of Savage, who won one of the specialty competitions at the Minnesota State Fair.
Place baking rack second shelf from the bottom and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray two 8-by-3 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix butter, oil, Splenda, egg, vanilla, coconut extract, orange juice and bananas together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flour. Add pecans and chocolate chips. Add dry mixture to banana mixture; mix well.
Fill loaf pans 2/3 of the way. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven while baking. After an hour, begin to check with a toothpick every few minutes to make sure bread is done in the middle. (The toothpick should come out clean; adjust baking time as needed for varying pan sizes.)
Remove from oven and let the bread sit at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Transfer to a wire rack and cool before slicing.
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