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Date: December 7th, 2025

  • A 4-Her may enter a dish for each category if they so choose.
  • Siblings and cooking companions are not allowed to enter the same dish/recipe even if they are not in the same age division.
  • Age Divisions are 4th -5th graders, 6th -8th graders, & 9th -12th graders.
  • You can use a box mix if you are adding a ½ cup of additional sugar. Only recipes using cake mix or premade cookie dough as a base item with additional ½ cup sugar are permissible. For example: you cannot turn in a recipe for German Chocolate Cake and only use items listed for a box cake mix.

Please bring 1-2 servings of your dish transported on ice in a disposable, hard-top, container. Please do not bring the entire dish, it is a waste. It may seem silly to transport, cake, cookies, candy, etc. on ice, but these are the regional culinary contest rules, so we use them as well. Please be aware that we may not accept a dish if it's not on ice.

Please bring your dish with 2 copies of the recipe and bonus info to the 4-H office between 8:00am and 5:30pm.


The Recipe: 20 Possible Points

Each contestant’s recipe should include the following elements:

  • The Recipe needs to be typed on regular 8.5 X 11 white paper.
  • Name of the Recipe
  • Ingredients listed in the order they are used in instructions, no abbreviations.
  • Clear, detailed instructions for combining ingredients should be given.
  • Size of pan stated – Large isn’t enough, 3-quart saucepan is proper.
  • Temperature and cooking time stated
  • Number of servings yielded
  • Your name, school, grade, and dish category should be on the back of your recipe.

Contest Requirements

Suar categories are: Cake, Cookies, Pie, Candy/Other.

Division Requirements: Each recipe must include at least a half-cup (½ cup) of Sugar. This includes brown sugar, granulated sugar, confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, or any combination of the listed sugars as long as it adds up to one-half cup (½ cup).


Bread categories are: Yeast Bread, Rolls/Biscuits, Other (quick breads, muffins, specialty breads)

Division Requirements: 4‑H’ers must prepare a bread product and identify the type of bread in the recipe. A contestant may enter only one dish per division. Contestants can bring 1 whole loaf or 6 individual items

Taste: 70 possible points

  1. Does the finished dish have a flavor that appeals to most people?
  2. Do the flavors blend well together?

The Appearance of Dish: 10 possible points

  1. Does the finished dish look appetizing?
  2. Is the product cooked correctly, or is it burnt?
  3. Garnishments and added extra decorations will not enter into scoring and may result in a deduction.

If you have any questions or concerns, call the office at 225-621-5799 or email Ms. Anna at [email protected].

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