Bakers needed

All you bakers out there, it's time to put those recipes to good use. In the process, you'll be helping a good cause.

Imagination Station is holding ChiliJam again this year and would love to have some goodies to sell for dessert.

Homemade bake sale items such as cakes, pies, cupcakes and cookies are all welcome, said Robin Hauser, development manager for Imagination Station.

Hauser said volunteers will cut the cakes into individual slices that can be enjoyed at ChiliJam March 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wilson County Fairgrounds.

Please don't contribute items that need to be refrigerated, she said, and leave a note with the recipe's name, the baker's name and phone number and whether the cake or dessert contains nuts.

"Some sugar-free items would be great!" Hauser said.

Items can be delivered to the museum March 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with curb service offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The treats can also be delivered to the fairgrounds on the morning of ChiliJam.

This is a wonderful opportunity to help out our science museum. Think how many times your children or grandchildren have enjoyed their visits to Imagination Station, and imagine future trips with wonderful exhibits funded from such projects as ChiliJam.

I'm including some past recipes to give you some ideas for submitting treats to this worthwhile project.


Fudge and Oat Bars

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups uncooked quick oats

Filling:

• 1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
Cream softened butter and brown sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla then stir in flour. Add oats and mix well. Batter will be sticky. Press two-thirds of mixture into pan to make an even layer.
For filling, pour chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter, vanilla and salt into saucepan and heat slowly just until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Pour chocolate mixture over batter in pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Crumble remaining oat mixture over chocolate and nuts; it will not completely cover.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until brown.


Chocolate Brownie Cake with Glaze

• 1 (18.25 oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
• 1 (3.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Add eggs, sour cream, oil and water and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Scrape bowl and beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean and cake pulls away from pan.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
While cake is cooling, mix glaze ingredients. Drizzle glaze onto cooled cake.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze:

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour chocolate chips and butter into microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir until chips are blended. Mix in honey and vanilla extract.