By Mary Ellen Psaltis
What’s the recipe for the best pie ever? Here it is:
Imagine your favorite mouth-watering pie
Bake 2 pies that are identical
Bring them down to the Olympia Center on Saturday (Feb 18th) in the morning
One will be judged
Both will be eaten
The sale of both pies will total $50.00, which is enough to feed a family of 4 for 1 week
You will be supporting hungry people in Thurston County
You might even win a prize!
Now that’s a recipe for success.
For the past 3 years, the Olympia Bakers Guild has organized the Pie Fest to support The Thurston County Food Bank and Senior Nutrition Program. Kathy Kinard, one of the original members of the Guild, smiles at the thought a room full of pies that turn into canned food and dollars that feed hungry people in our community. Don’t be late, because the pies will sell out. You can eat pie beginning at 1:00 until 3:30.
The contest has three age categories: up to 12 years, 13-18 years and 19 and older. One pie goes immediately to the cutting area and the other goes before a panel of local (and illustrious!) judges. Slices will sell for $3.00 or 3 cans of food. There will also be whole pies available.
Drop off your pies between 10:00 – 11:30 am. Pies must require no refrigeration (that means no dairy or meringue) and must be baked in homemade crust. Use disposable 8, 9 or 10-inch pie pans. The entrance fee is $5.00 or 5 cans of food. Are you a professional baker? Great, come on down and eat – but don’t compete.
You can find all the rules at www.olybakers.com
Looking for a Pie Tip or Two?
1. Looks aren’t everything but first impressions count.
A slice of pie stacked with luscious fruit and topped with a golden crust begs you to find a fork and dig in. A pie that is burnt or falling apart is not so attractive. To prevent burnt edges, you can cover the crust with foil about 15 minutes into the baking process. You can also ‘blind bake’ the bottom crust, which means bake it without filling at 350 degrees for about 15 or 20 minutes or till golden brown. Cool before filling and then finish the baking.
The top of the pie can be the remaining half of your dough. Maybe you have skills to make a fancy looking lattice or cut out shapes with the crust. Maybe you will opt for a crumb topping.
2. Taste matters
It can take experimentation to get the right balance of fruit, sweeteners and spices. Using more than one kind of apple gives more flavor than a single variety. Cinnamon adds taste as well as smell but you don’t want to overpower the apples.
Crust needs to be flakey. My mom suggests handling the dough as little as possible, as this toughens it up. She also uses Crisco, although I can’t think of any other time she uses lard. Butter gives a different taste, and may work better with certain fillings.
3. Be creative
I am a pie eater more than a pie baker. I like to be pleasantly surprised. Maybe the baker used hot cinnamon candies in the apple pie or added a cup of berries. My daughter took the extra time to render bacon fat and used that in the crust of an apple pie for a subtle, extra flavor. Maybe there were a few candied pecans were thrown into a crumbly crust. Yes, a traditional pie is fine but how will your pie stand out from the others?
4. Have fun
Do I really need to explain this?
5. Perfection is not required. Participation is what counts.
Experiment on your friends and family. They will not care if your first tries are a little too runny or dark on top. They will be thrilled to find the sweet aroma of baking pies in the house. Your friends will be equally enthused. And however your final two pies turn out, please bring them down to the Olympia Center. No one will know who baked it, unless you tell. All the money goes to the Senior Nutrition Program and the Food Bank.
You can find advice galore on the Internet on sweeteners, thickeners like CLEARJEL, baking times, fruit amounts and plenty more. But that won’t bake your pie. Get out your pots and pans and have at it. If you are no baker, then come down Saturday afternoon to see what others have conjured up and get a piece to enjoy for yourself. And it that doesn’t work for you current diet regime, bring down a few cans of food, admire the works of others and purchase a few raffle tickets. Everybody wins. This is no Pie in the Sky.
Eat Well Be Well.
