Pies

Wanna know a secret? ...

You don't have to know how to roll a crust to make a pie.

For years I never ventured to make a pie because the whole crust thing intimidated me. Then, I got this pie crust recipe from a co-worker and I've never looked back. It is a press-in crust... easy as pie!

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Stir it all together until it forma a ball then dump it into your pie pan and press into shape. Voila! You're done. No cutting stuff in and chilling the pastry and rolling it out.

So here are the pies that went to the fair yesterday...

Dutch Apple

Blueberry

My daughter's 2-Crust Apple

All of my pies have streusel tops due to the press-in crust. Dutch Apple and 2-Crust Apple are separate categories at the fair. My daughter insists on trying to roll out my pie crust recipe for the top crust. My personal opinion is that it doesn't work that way but, it's her pie!

I used to think that my pies wouldn't do well because I didn't have a rolled crust but my blueberry pie has placed first several times at the County Fair, won the overall pie in the Blueberry Contest several years ago, and placed first at the State Fair two years ago. This year was the very first year a judge did not like my pie because it had an oil crust rather than a rolled crust. The pie had other problems too. It was too runny. I suspect I got rushed and didn't cook my cornstarch long enough before I added it to the filling. Anyway, I always read my judging sheets. I have learned more about baking through the judges comments as well as their comments during the open judging than any place else. Here is the comment sheet from the County Fair on my Blueberry Pie...

"Bit ran"

"Oil crust just won't be as flaky"

I agree with the first comment. The second comment I took as one person's opinion on one day. My crust has done well before so I am keeping it.

Speaking of comment sheets, this was the one for my Smith Island Cake...

"Had to cut with two hands vey dense" - Ouch!!

Smith Island Cake





Needless to say, I did NOT make this for the State Fair. This recipe will need some work if I'm going to compete with it. Or, I may just make it for my family instead.

I decided not to compete in Pillsbury so I just dropped the pies off and came home. I will find out how we fared when I return to the Fair on Thursday for the Red Gold Chili Contest.

My family loves blueberries. They are on sale at Meijer for 0.99 a pint - a GREAT price! I had to make another blueberry pie for them.

Filling doesn't look runny on this one; hope the one at the Fair is the same!

Then I made blueberry muffins... all brown and irregular...

There were 15 of these last night!

then I had two overripe bananas and leftover walnuts...

Banana Walnut Bread (what's left of it!)

Baked goods don't last very long at our house. Admittedly, I've sampled my share of all of these. Like I've said, I've never met a carb I didn't like!

Running was a bust last week. 5 miles TOTAL.

Starting my training week over again today. I got in a VERY HOT 4 miler in this morning. This week should be better. I am working more but my husband is back home and I am only competing at the fairgrounds on Thursday and Saturday.

Off to work now.