Hinkelfest is a country fair full of good food, games, rides, amusements, +more, and it’s staffed entirely by volunteers while its proceeds are distributed among five local organizations: Matthews Public Library, Fredericksburg Fire Company, Auxiliary of American Legion Post 915, Fredericksburg Lions Club, and Fredericksburg Community Association! If you’re looking for a way to get more involved in your community or for volunteer opportunities with local organizations, volunteering for a shift or two at Hinkelfest is a great way to start.
Volunteer at Hinkelfest!
The festival itself is staffed by volunteers. That’s where you come in–we’re looking for people willing to volunteer at Hinkelfest for a shift (or two!). To add your name to the Hinkelfest volunteer roster, please complete the Hinkelfest Volunteer Form. You will later be contacted by the Hinkelfest volunteer coordinator the month before Hinkelfest to schedule your volunteer shift(s) at Hinkelfest.
Download or print a pdf copy of the guidelines.
Saturday, September 16, 2023 | Fireman’s Park, Fredericksburg, PA
Submission deadline for recipe: Monday, September 11, 2023
The contest will be held the weekend of Hinkelfest at Fireman’s Park, 2652 Pine Grove Street, Fredericksburg, PA 17026.
Judging of finished dishes for the cooking contest will commence at 1 PM on Saturday. Finished dishes will be judged on creativity, doneness, flavor, appearance, and recipe clarity. All recipes will be tasted. One entry per category per contestant please.
Prizes will be awarded in each category: First prize receives $50, second prize receives $30, and third prize receives $10.
Contestants should:
- submit recipe in advance by 10 PM the Monday before Hinkelfest:
- List all ingredients, measurements, and directions for completing the dish on one side of 81/2 x 11 inch paper
- Mail to Sheila Redcay, Matthews Public Library, P.O. Box 241, Fredericksburg, PA 17026 OR email to Sheila Redcay, redcay@lclibs.org, subject line should read “Hinkelfest Cooking Contest Recipe.” Receipt of email submissions will be acknowledged. Please do not incorporate any artwork or special formatting in your recipe.
- prepare a family-sized recipe serving at least 4-6; undersized entries will be disqualified.
- attach a label denoting the category of entry to the dish.
- bring the completed dish to Hinkelfest at Fireman’s Park between 12:30 PM and 1 PM.
- include your name, address, phone number, and email (if you have one) on the entry form; children should also list their age.
Contest winners will be announced at 4 PM, and photos will be taken at that time. Winners must be on display until Sunday. Others may be removed after 4 PM on Saturday.
2023 Categories
Crumb and get it! Prepare a breakfast dish using egg(s) or chicken.
Around The World In An Afternoon. Prepare your favorite chicken recipe from another country.
Wings & Things. Prepare your favorite chicken wing recipe; your recipe must use chicken wings.
Help! I’m stuck on a dessert aisle! Prepare a dessert using at least 3 eggs; bring the whole dessert to the park.
The annual Hinkelfest Cooking Contest is organized by the library. Each year’s new categories will be announced the month before Hinkelfest to allow for amateur cooks to prepare their delicious recipes. The deadline for recipe submission is the Monday before Hinkelfest while judging of contest entries will begin at 1 PM the Saturday of Hinkelfest at Fireman’s Park, Fredericksburg, PA. Cash prizes and ribbons are awarded in all categories. Winning recipes will be published here on the library’s website the week following Hinkelfest.
Here are this year’s blue ribbon winning recipes from the Hinkelfest Cooking Contest.
Crumb and Get It!
1st place | Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole by Shirley Rudy.
Ingredients
16 oz. shredded hash browns thawed
¾ lb. chicken sausage cooked, crumbled and drained
1/8 cup onion, diced
½ of a small red bell pepper diced
½ of a small green bell pepper diced
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
6 eggs
2/3 cup milk
¼ tsp. Italian Seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 (if baking immediately). Grease a 9×13 or a 3qt baking dish or spray with cooking spray.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain fat.
In the prepared dish, add the hashbrowns, cooked sausage, onion, bell peppers, and ¾ cup of cheese. Gently mix the ingredients together and spread evenly in the pan.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Whisk until well combined. Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese over top.
Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight if desired or bake immediately.
Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes or until cooked through.
The casserole can be assembled and baked immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to two days before baking.
If casserole is refrigerated overnight, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. It may require an extra 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
Around the World in an Afternoon!
1st Place | Sun-Dried Tomato Fettuccini Alfredo prepared by Emily Kern
Ingredients
8 ounces Barilla fettuccine pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 ¾ cups 2% milk
½ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before slicing; set aside.
3. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, tomato paste and basil until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk in milk and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and Parmesan until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Stir in pasta and chicken, and gently toss to combine.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Wings & Things
1st Place | Apple Cider Glazed Chicken Wings prepared by Deb Fidler
Ingredients
4 lbs chicken wings
3 t paprika
2 t ground mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c fresh apple cider
½ c apple cider vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Dijon mustard
Celery and apple slices to garnish
Directions:
1. Toss wings in paprika, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 4 – 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven or air fryer to 450. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and place wings evenly on the sheets. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
3. In another medium pan mix cider, vinegar and Dijon mustard and stir and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets with wings from the oven and brush wings with the heated sauce and bake a few more minutes until golden brown.
5. Serve with the apple and celery slices.
Help! I’m Stuck on a Dessert Aisle!
1st Place | Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting prepared by Tara Kline
Cake ingredients
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. vegetable oil
3 tsps. vanilla extract
2 ¼ c. white sugar
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 large zucchini
Lemon Buttercream ingredients
1 c. butter, room temperature
3 ½ c. confectioners’ sugar
1 lemon, juice & zest (about 2 T.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Grate a large zucchini and place in clean dish towel and squeeze until most of the liquid comes out. You will want to have 2 cups of shredded zucchini after it’s been drained. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in zucchini.
4. Slowly add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven or until a knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Lemon Buttercream Instructions:
1. Combine butter, sugar, and salt and beat until well combined.
2. Add lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes or until creamy.
3. Fold in the zest (if piping, leave out the zest).
Grandma’s Apple Cake
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Glaze Ingredients
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions: Preheat oven to 300°. Line bottom of a 10-in. springform pan or a 13×9-in. baking pan with parchment; grease parchment. In a bowl, whisk together flour and next 5 ingredients. In a large bowl, beat oil, sugar and eggs until pale and slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Fold in apples and walnuts (batter will be thick). Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55- 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.
For glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice; drizzle over cake.
Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 T water
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T fresh parsley
2 t fresh basil (1 t if using dried)
2 t minced garlic
1 t oregano
1 t salt
Black pepper to taste
1 pound of diced Bell & Evans chicken
Salad Ingredients
¾ c feta cheese
4 c Romaine lettuce
1 large cucumber diced
2 tomatoes diceed or wedged
1 red onion diced
1 avocado sliced
1/3 c olives sliced
1 lemon wedged
Directions:
1. Whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, water, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and put half in a small bowl and refrigerate.
2. Use the other half of dressing to marinate the Bell & Evans chicken for up to 2 hours.
3. When the chicken is finished marinating, cook it well.
4. Take all the salad ingredients and the cooled chicken and mix together. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top.
5. Pour the refrigerated half of the dressing on the salad and garnish with lemon wedges.
California Chicken Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts cut into small cubes
Ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large flour tortillas
1 onion diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
8 large eggs room temperature
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup half and half
1 cup fresh spinach
4 tablespoons. butter
Kosher salt to taste
Directions: Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and cook until tender. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half. Wipeout the same skillet and place it over medium heat. Add butter and melt it. When butter is just starting to foam, reduce heat to medium-low, and add beaten eggs. Using a rubber spatula, occasionally until soft curds form. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In the center of each tortilla, spread ¼ of the chicken, layer ¼ of the veggies, ¼ of the scrambled eggs, ¼ cup of each cheese, add tomato pieces, spinach, and avocado. Fold in the two sides and roll up tightly.
Lemon Sponge Pie
Pie Crust Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 ¼ cups shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
½ cup water
Directions: Mix flour, shortening, sugar and salt; mix with a fork. In other dish beat egg, water and vinegar.
Mix both together, small amount at a time. Chill or freeze before using. Makes 3 – 9” pies. Use this recipe for Lemon Sponge Pie and freeze the rest for another time.
Pie Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs, separated
3 Tablespoons flour
Juice and rind of one lemon
1/16 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups milk
9-inch deep pie shell, unbaked
Directions: Cream butter. Add sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, rind and salt. Mix well.
Add milk and mix very well. Beat egg whites, fold in carefully and pour into 9-inch unbaked deep pie shell.
Bake 375 degrees for five minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Be sure pie is done when you remove it from oven. It should not “jiggle” in the middle when you shake it gently.
Can be served with whipped topping.
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces chocolate flavored syrup
1 cup sugar
FILLING:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon mint extract
3 drops green food coloring
TOPPING:
1 package (10 ounces) mint chocolate chips
9 tablespoons butter
Directions: Combine the first seven ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
Pour batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. The top of the brownies may still appear wet. Cool completely.
Combine filling ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; beat until creamy. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until set. For topping, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Let cool for 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over filling. Chill before cutting. Store in refrigerator.
Raspberry Zinger Cake
Ingredients
1-box white cake mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs
½ cup oil
1 3oz box of raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1-18 oz jar of raspberry jam
½ c butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 T milk
Pinch of salt
1 – 11oz jar of marshmallow crème
½ t vanilla
7 oz shredded coconut
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, milk, eggs and oil. Grease a 9X13 pan and pour batter into pan. Bake 30-40 minutes
3. While cake is baking, mix jello with 1 cup boiling water and let cool.
4. Remove cake from oven and poke holes in the top of the cake using a fork then pour jello over cake while still warm.
5. Let cool completely then pour raspberry jam over cake top and work until smooth.
6. Then take the remaining ingredients; butter, powdered sugar, milk, salt pinch, marshmallow crème and mix together to ice the cake.
7. Sprinkle coconut over all.
Pecan Chip Tube Cake
Ingredients
1 package (15-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces ) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the first five ingredients. Then beat mixture on low speed for two minutes or until combined.
3. Pour half of mixture into a graded and floured 9-in tube pan.
4. Combine pecans and chocolate chips. Sprinkle half of this over the batter. Top with marshmallows. Then pour remaining batter and sprinkle the remaining pecan chip mixture.
5. Bake cake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Let cake cook for 10 minutes. Then invert cake to remove from pan and immediately invert again onto a serving plate.
Extra Step: May top with drizzled chocolate and/or powdered sugar.
