Personal Skills – Baking
Connecticut’s largest confection collection! The Durham Fair Baking Competition yields the best in culinary creativity and craftsmanship with over 400 entries fresh out of Connecticut kitchens. Treat yourself to a tour of prize winning cookies, bars, decorated cakes, pies and quick breads, all competitively created for this coveted blue ribbon bake-off! Be sure to stop by our new Durham Fair Country Kitchen with expert demonstrations, tips, techniques and traditions for making award-winning pie crusts, brownies, breads and more!
New for 2024!
- Stained Glass Cookies
- Challah Bread
- Pumpkin Pie
- King Arthur Baking Company is sponsoring Almond Gallette with additional gift card prizes.
- This year’s Court of Honor recipe is for Cranberry Bread from the kitchen of Sue Collins.
- Anginette Cookies
- Yeasted, Fried Donuts to be judged live on Thursday at 6:00 pm.
Exhibit Highlights
- State Apple Pie & State Baking Contest
- Largest Baking Competition in Connecticut
- Over 400 entries on display
Baking Department Demonstrations
Located at the Presidents’ Hall Personal Skills Demonstration Area.
| THURSDAY, September 26, 2024 Fair Hours: 4PM–10PM | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 | PM | Live Judging of Yeasted, Fried Donuts |
| SUNDAY, September 29, 2024 Fair Hours: 9AM–6PM | ||
| 12:30 | PM | How to Make Apple Cookies: presented by Pastry Chef Rachel Palmieri, owner of Palmieri’s Cakes |
Court of Honor
The Court of Honor class honors local bakers by sharing one of their recipes for exhibitors to make and submit.
Recipes from Previous Years:
- 2024: Cranberry Bread
From the kitchen of Sue Collins - 2023: Golden Bars
From the kitchen of Helen Korn Pearce - 2022: Old Fashioned Raised Loaf Cake
From the kitchen of Lillian & Gram White - 2019: Heartwarming Gingerbread
From the kitchen of Henry & Gramma Coe - 2018: Apple Crisp
From the kitchen of Gwen Brayshaw - 2017: Old Time Fudge
From the kitchen of Evelyn Rossi - 2016: Banana Muffins
From the kitchen of Rosemarie Naples - 2015: Wacky Cake
From the kitchen of Peg Atwell - 2014: Red Velvet Cake
From the kitchen of Mary Baginski - 2013: Danish Kransekage
From the kitchen of Beverly Pedersen - 2012: Molasses Cookies
From the kitchen of Rosemary Allen Simmons - 2011: Cocoa Marble Cake
From the kitchen of Celia Cekala