It's getting time for me to enter our little local pie contest, and I need some ideas!

I have done pretty well the last few years, winning several ribbons each year. One year the Viennese Apricot Pie posted by TOHer Laston (from a Farm Journal recipe) won for me.  Another year the Dutch Pineapple Pie posted by TOHer LuckEme/susan won me a ribbon. 

Please help me with your best pie recipe! I love to make them and enter them. A church sponsors the contest, and then after they judge, they sell off slices of the pies, and all money goes to the church charities, so it is a good way to do good.   Hundreds of pies are entered, and it is such a sight to see them all displayed on long tables, awaiting the buyers.

And, of course, the other bit of fun is the bragging rights afterward!

Who has a recipe for me? I would be eternally grateful!

No recipe but I will give you a bump.

I don't have a recipe to share right now, but right now but how about a fresh glazed peach pie?  I've made it exactly like the strawberry pie that uses strawberry jello in the glaze, just subbed peach jello. Pre-bake your favorite 9" pie crust, next beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla & almond extracts & spread in cooled pie shell. Add glazed peaches mixture, & pipe whipped cream puffs around the edge.  Garnish the cream with a sprinkling of lightly toasted sliced almonds.

Cali

  Cali. It's also good in a raspberry version. Including the almonds.

deb

Hi Dorothy

here is a link to my from sratch Pumpkin pie - its wonderful.... http://cherryblossomtable.blogspot.com/2009/09/pumkin-pie-completly-from-scratch.html

This one looks fabulous - its froma blog - maybe oyu could enter this one??

Banana Split Pie

I really enjoy dessert, but don’t always want to put in the effort of making it.  Which is good, because with my inherited sweet tooth (thanks mom) I’d be big as a house!  I actually do like to bake, but for the previously mentioned reason, won’t do it very often.  But this easy to make dessert is an exception, and a show stopper at the same time.

The Banana Split is an American classic; rich vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream topped with ripe banana, hot fudge or chocolate sauce, crushed pineapple or pineapple ice cream topping, whipped cream, wet walnuts and maraschino cherries.  Yeah baby!  After eating one of those you usually went into a sugar coma, but it was worth it.  I’ve taken the basic idea of that banana split and turned it into a pie.

Banana Split Pie still life

Banana Split Pie

2 cups Nilla Wafer cookie crumbs

6 TB melted butter

1 pkg (5.1 oz) Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding

4 cups heavy cream, divided

2 ripe bananas, sliced

1 jar (16 oz) Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Sauce

3 TB dark rum

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

sliced almonds for garnish (I’m not a huge walnut fan, so I used almonds instead)

Maraschino cherries for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In 10″ pie pan, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter until all crumbs are moistened.  Press the crumbs into and up the sides of the pan to form crust.  Bake for 10 minutes in the oven to set the crust.  Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.

In a medium bowl mix the instant pudding and 3 cups of heavy cream.  Stir in the banana slices, set aside.

Adding sliced bananas to custard

In small bowl, stir together the hot fudge and rum, until well mixed.

Chocolate-Rum sauce

Spread half of the banana filling into the cooled crust.  Pour half of the rum sauce over filling, and gently spread fudge sauce to the edges.  Spread remaining banana filling on top of fudge sauce, then repeat with remaining fudge sauce.  Place pie into refrigerator to chill and set for at least one hour.

Banana filling in baked crust

Chocolate-Rum sauce spread on banana custard

Drain the can of crushed pineapple well, then top the chilled pie with a layer of pineapple.

Crushed pineapple layer

Whip the remaining cup of cream into soft peaks with a whisk or electric mixer. Do not add any sugar to sweeten the cream, as there is more than enough sweetness to this pie already.

Whipped cream with soft peaks

Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the top of the pie.  Garnish the pie with sliced almonds and cherries.

Banana Split Pie

Although there are a lot of assembly steps to this pie, it really comes together easily.  The richness of the heavy cream almost makes the instant pudding taste like you slaved over the stove and made a cooked custard.  And no one has to know but you…

Good Luck again this year, Dorothy! 

Goodness, that banana spilt pie looks wonderful, doesn't it!

I was going to suggest the Emeril Banana Pie because the crust is outstanding and makes a great presentation with all of the syrup toppings.

http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/p/724203/6192803.aspx#6192803

 Still, one of my favorite comfort-zone pies has become this Pear Pie. It is pretty with crumb topping and tastes great, too. It has had a few reviews, too....

http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/p/625693/5234682.aspx#5234682

Again, good luck! Linda

How about this one

Banoffee Tarts and Happiness :D http://aapplemint.blogspot.com/2007/09/banoffee-tarts-and-happiness-d.html

 

And so back to the Banoffee Tarts :)

For the Pastry :-

• 335g Plain Flour
• 235g Unsalted Butter
• 100g Icing Sugar
• 3 Egg Yolks

Prepare the pastry by rubbing the cold butter with the flour and icing sugar until a fine crumb is achieved. Add the egg yolks and bring together. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least two hours.

For the Filling :-

• 395g Tin Condensed Milk
• Bananas - sliced
• 250-300 ml whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Place the tins of condensed milk into a heavy bottomed pot and cover with water and simmer for three hours. Keep covered with water at all times, remove after three hours and allow to cool completely.
Roll out the pastry and line individual pastry rings . Trim off the excess pastry and blind bake until the base is golden brown. Allow to cool, and store in an air tight box till ready to use.
To assemble the banoffee tarts, pour the toffee into the tart till 3/4th full. Layer the slices of banana and cover with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings and chill well before serving.

I must confess that these little tarts were heavy. So if you're planning to serve these for a dinner party, make sure you keep some space for the dessert while planning the menu.

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Peach and Praline Pie

1 teaspoon flour

1/3 cup flour, divided

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ½ t. cinnamon

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 large eggs

3 cups fresh peach slices, chopped

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Sprinkle bottom of pie crust with 1 teaspoon of flour; set aside. Beat 3 tablespoons flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg, corn syrup and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer for one minute. Stir in peaches and 1/4 cup butter and pour into prepared pie crust.

Combine remaining flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans and sprinkle evenly over peach mixture in pie crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set, shielding edge of crust with aluminum foil after 35 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

Hi  I entered a local county fair apple pie contest a few weeks ago and they auction off all of the pies after judging.   the grand prize winning pie was auctioned off for $3,000 dollars, several local firemen and politicians went together for this bid.  

well it was not my pie but mine went for $40.00 and my DGD's went for $50.00   we were both happy.  I made a normal apple pie but put Heath pieces bits on the bottom and then the apples with sugar , cinnamon and dots of butter and then more Heath pieces on top of the apples and then made a crumb topping....1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 stick of soft butter,  mix till crumbly and cover filling   Bake 400 about 60 minutes or till bubbly.   hope you win no matter what pie you enter......Shirley

How about a Rhubarb Custard Pie or a Banana Toasted Coconut Cream Pie (has cream cheese in the pudding and is very smooth--never watery)?

Gommy of 4

Here is one of my favs from my Grandma. Slice some strawberries into a prebaked pie crust (or a butter crumb crust). Top with one can of Thank You vanilla pudding mixed with (I think it's 1 cup) sour cream. Combine crushed berries, sugar and cornstarch - boil until thickened, cool, pour on top. Refridge, of course.

There are some wonderful pies shared here! I debated about whether to share this one here... people tend to look at the recipe and think this is complicated or weird, but it's NOT! It's not difficult or time consuming (any more than any other pie recipe), and it is sooo wonderful! And it makes a beautiful presentation too!

Apple-Pecan Upside Down Pie

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and honey; mix well. Spread evenly in bottom of a deep, 9 inch pie pan. Arrange pecans over mixture in pan. Place one pie crust over mixture in pan. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine sugar, flour and spices; mix well. Toss the sliced apples with the sugar mixture. Put the apples into the pie pan and top with second crust; seal edges and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Place pie pan on a baking sheet on oven rack. Cover loosely with foil.

Place the baking sheet and pie in the center of the oven and allow to cook for 15 minutes at 425. Then reduce the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and cook for another 20 minutes, watching for the crust to turn golden brown. If the crust gets too brown and you don’t think the apples are cooked enough, re-cover with the foil and continue to bake until there is very little resistance when you insert a wooden skewer into the apples.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes. Then place a large plate over the top of the pie and flip it over. Gently lift the pie pan off of the pie. It should come off clean, but if any pecans stick to the pie pan remove them and put them back on the pie. Allow to cool at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting.

................................. 

Wow, what a bunch of great answers! I knew I could get some wonderful ideas from my cooking buddies on the BB!

CaliCynthia: Love the peach pie with peach Jell-o thickener idea!

Debster: Maybe raspberries would be great in the peach pie, sort of a peach melba pie!

Twinkle: Your scratch punkie pie looks so tastsy, and both the Banana Split Pie and the Banoffee Tart (love that name, Banoffee!) would be amazing. They have a fruit category, so that decision will be hard.

Cllw: You are right, the crust on Emeril's pie looks intriguing. Wonder if it would go well with another of the other banana pies mentioned here? And I do believe I am going to make the Pear Pie. I looked through my notes on my computer and I have made that one before, and it was very comforting. I loved it!

PalmSpringsGal/CeCe: Peach and Praline Pie is right up my alley. Now I must pray that good peaches are available for mid-October.

Twogk_OH/Shirley: Love the idea of Heath Bits in apple pie! Wonder if they would add anything to the crumble on top of PalmSpringsGal's Peach and Praline Pie, agove?

Toni Anderson: love love love rhubarb pie! Have made the version posted here that is attributed to Cindy Crawford, and that one was dynamite!  Wonder if I can find any fresh rhubarb? Or maybe frozen?

RaDreamFarm: Never thought of sour cream to enrich the filling of a strawberry pie, but that sounds like a good idea to me.

Mama_fluffy: All right, I really have to try that intriguing method on your upside down apple pecan pie. It's hard to imagine what it might look like , but I know it is going to taste fantastic! 

Thank you, everyone, for posting all these great ideas! This is getting me revved up and ready. Anyone else with ideas, please join in.   The contest is mid-Oct. so I have another week or so to nail down my options. 

And of course, I will report back with my results!

 Dorothy, I use frozen, sliced peaches.  I find them not only easier to use, bur ALWAYS good tasting  peaches.  You can't always depend on fresh peaches being good.

Butterfinger pie

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 pkg. (of a 3oz.) box vanilla instant pudding

12 oz. (1 8oz. And 1/2 of another 8 oz.) container of cool whip

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbsp. Butter, melted

10-12 minuture butterfingers or more depending on taste, crusheded

Mix graham cracker crumbs, 3

Butterfingers and butter together. Press in a pie plate with the back of a spoon. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/4 pkg. Vanilla instant pudding with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add cool whip and beat until blended. Fold in 2 butterfingers. Spread into crust. Sprinkle with remaining butterfingers and chill for 1 hour.

Chocolate Turtle Brownie Pie

Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 35 min | Yields - 16 servings

 A rich chocolate flavor, caramels and pecans make up this delicious brownie pie.

Ingredients:

8 ozs. NESTLÉ CHOCOLATIER™ 53% Cacao Dark Chocolate Baking Bar(s), broken into small pieces, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans, divided
6 squares caramels, unwrapped
1 teaspoon milk

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch springform pan.

MICROWAVE 1 cup chocolate pieces in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. Pieces may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until smooth; cool to room temperature.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt. Beat brown sugar and butter in medium mixer bowl on high until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1/3 cup chocolate pieces.

BAKE for 33 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes; remove ring.

MICROWAVE remaining chocolate in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; knead. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals; kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over brownie.

MICROWAVE caramels and milk in a small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 20 seconds; STIR. If necessary, microwave at additional 5- to 10-second intervals; stirring until smooth. Drizzle over brownie. Cut into slices.

Snicker's Pie

1 Pillsbury All Ready Pie Crust

5 Snicker's candy bars (2.7 oz)

1/2 cup sugar

12 ounces softened cream cheese

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons whipping cream

2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 450ºF. Prepare pie crust according to package

instructions for filled pie, using 9" pie pan. Bake at 450ºF for

5-7 minutes or until very light golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.

Cut candy bars in half lengthwise; cut into 1/4" pieces. Place

candy bar pieces over bottom of partially baked crust.

In small bowl, combine sugar and cream cheese, beating until

smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each

addition. Add sour cream and peanut butter, beating until

mixture is smooth. Pour over candy bar pieces.

Bake at 325ºF for 30-40 minutes or until center is set. Cool

completely.

In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream until very warm. Remove

from heat; stir in chocolate chips. Stir until chips are melted

and mixture is smooth. Spread over top of pie.

Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 ALABAMA CHOCOLATE PECAN JUMBO FUDGE PIE

Yield: 8 Servings

1 1/4 c Chocolate wafer crumbs

1/3 c Butter; melted

1/2 c Butter; softened

3/4 c Sugar, brown

3 Egg

12 oz Semisweet chocolate morsels; melted

2 ts Coffee, instant

1 ts Vanilla extract

1/2 c Flour

1 c Pecans; coarsely chopped

Whipped cream, sweetened

Chocolate syrup

Maraschino cherries with stems

Mint sprigs

Combine chocolate wafer crumbs and 1/3 cup melted butter; firmly

press on bottom and

sides of a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate. Bake at 350 F for 6 to

8 minutes.

Cream 1/2 cup softened butter; gradually add brown sugar with

the electric mixer

at medium speed until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time,

beating after

each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate, instant coffee

granules, vanilla extract, flour and chopped pecans.

Pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Before serving,

pipe sweetened whipped cream on

each piece and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Garnish with

cherries and/or mint if desired.