North Catasauqua resident John Yanek was a winner in multiple culinary arts categories at the 2014 Great Allentown Fair. Below are the recipes for his two blue-ribbon winners, Sweet Flames Chili and Circus Crunch Cookies.

Sweet Flames Chili took the top award in the Mitzi's Table "Chili With a Twist" competition. His cookie recipe won in the Gold Medal Flour Cookie Contest. This cookie brings to mind a day at the circus, with ingredients like chocolate, peanuts, popcorn and pretzels.

SWEET FLAMES CHILI

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 lbs. ground beef (90-percent lean)

1 large onion diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

4 long hot peppers, seeded and diced

2 Italian sweet peppers, seeded and diced

1 Tbsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. sea salt

1/2 cup chili powder

1/2 tsp. celery salt

2 Tbsps. lime juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsps. hot sauce

3 cans (28 oz. ea.) petite diced tomatoes

12 oz. can tomato paste

29 oz. can tomato sauce

16 oz can light red kidney beans, drained

16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained

2 cans (16 oz. ea.) black beans, drained

2 cans (16 oz. ea.) Great Northern beans, drained

Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef to pot, cooking until browned. Drain fat from stockpot. Stir in onion, garlic and peppers, cooking until tender. Stir in the seasonings, lime juice, brown sugar, hot sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato sauce.

Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pot; simmer for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add the beans; simmer another 30 minutes.

CIRCUS CRUNCH COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups Gold Medal Flour

2 tsps. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup white chocolate morsels

3/4 cup salted peanuts, crushed

3/4 salted pretzels, crushed

3/4 caramel popcorn, crushed

3/4 cup melted milk chocolate for drizzle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

With electric mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, heating until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in morsels, peanuts, pretzels and popcorn. Drop cookies by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Drizzle cookies with milk chocolate.