By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
This was 10-year-old Leo Sposato’s first time entering the baking competition at the Caledonia Fair. He said his mom suggested it. So, he looked at the categories and thought it would be fun. First on his list was the Dessert Pizza! The other sections were Peanut Butter Cookies and Chocolate Cake for Young Men. The Dessert Pizza took a lot of thought to create something unique within the guidelines. Leo chose a brownie recipe that was split in half and baked in two 6-inch round pans to fit the criteria. He made sure the batter was patted down to create a crust on the outside edge. Once cooled, he spread marshmallow fluff over the top and grated white chocolate to resemble parmesan cheese. Leo cut edible cookie dough into small circles for pepperoni, then drizzled semi-sweet chocolate over top. Leo’s Dessert Pizza placed second! His Peanut Butter Cookies placed third.
Leo comes from a long line of great family cooks. On his dad, Mike’s side; his Nonna, Fran Sposato, and his late great-mothers Angela Iudiciani and Ida Sposato. On his mom, Bridget’s side; his Nana, Lee Bowen; Great-Grandma Nick, Lynn Montague; and Great-Great-Grandma “Monie,“ the late Monica Montague. Leo confessed, “I actually prefer to cook rather than bake because with cooking you can let your mind be set free.”
When not in the kitchen, Leo enjoys piano and is currently considering bagpipe lessons. He has also been gifted with a keen interest in science and technology. Leo loves the endless possibilities of coding and programming. It will be interesting to see what he cooks up in the future. Enjoy!
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE
1½ cups flour
½ cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together then whisk to combine.
3. Cream butter and brown and white sugar in a mixing bowl. Add sea salt.
4. Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated.
5. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until well blended.
6. Roll dough into one-inch balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Flatten cookies with a fork in a crisscross pattern.
8. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes.
9. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet; they need to set up before being transferred to a cooling rack.
BROWNIE RECIPE
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Add sugar and cocoa and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and salt.
3. Add the flour and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes for super fudgy brownies (toothpick inserted has a smear of chocolate and few crumbs) or up to 55 minutes for a cakey texture (toothpick clean or a few crumbs). Let cool completely in the pan.
NOTE: For the Dessert Pizza, divide the recipe between two 6-inch round pans and bake for about 25 minutes for fudgy texture.
