Pie makers invited to compete during Montana Seed Show

Press release

Pie bakers — both men and women — should start looking for their favorite pie recipes.

The Montana Seed Show is fast approaching, and one of the most popular events is the pie-baking contest.

Entries will be taken Friday, March 8, between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. in the big gymnasium at Harlem High School.

Categories are adult double crust, youth double crust and dessert/cream pie, which is open to all ages.

Prizes for adult double-crust pies are $400 for first, $300 for second, $200 for third and $100 for fourth.

Youth double crust prizes are $75 for first, $50 for second and $25 for third.

Dessert/cream pie winners receive $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third.

Dessert pies must must include one of the following: whipped cream, cream cheese or meringue. They must be one-crust pies.

Fruit pies must be two-crust pies and made from any type of fruit or berry.

All pies must be in disposable tins and be accompanied with its recipe.

Complete rules can be found in the Montana Seed Show Book located in various businesses in Harlem, Malta and Havre.

For more information, people can contact Sondra Miller at 406-357-4121.

The recipe for last year’s second-place entry in adult two-crust pies is:

Strawberry Mango Pie

Filling:

2 cups strawberries, rinsed, drained hulled and quartered

1 1/2 cups mango pieces, frozen

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp tapioca

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Crust:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup Crisco/lard

1/4 cup water

For crust, cut Crisco/lard into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add water and mix until soft dough. Roll to fit pan.

For filling, mix fruit and other ingredients gently into bowl and pour into shell. Cover with top.

Spoon filling into bottom crust and add 2-3 butter dots. Top with second crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Other recipes from previous competitions include:

No-Bake Cherry Cheese Pie (cream/dessert)

1/3 cup granular sugar

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

3 1/2 cups Cool Whip

Crust:

30 crushed Oreos

4-5 tbsp melted butter

Stir the cookies and butter together and press into pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool and add filling. Top with favorite fruit or berries such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or fruit or berry of choice.

Lemon Supreme Pie

Lemon filling:

1 1/2 cup sugar, divided

6 tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups water

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice

4-5 drips yellow food coloring, optional

Cream cheese filling:

11 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered/confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 cups whipped topping

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pie crust:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cip Crisco/lard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

For the crust, cut Crisco/lard into flour until crumbly, add water and work until smooth. Place in pie pan and bake bake at 400 degrees until lightly brown. Cool.

Lemon filling: Compine 3/4 cup sugar, corn starch and salt in a sauce pan. Still in water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat. Add remaining sugar and cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon zest and food color if used. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperatures.

Cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese and powdered/confectioners’ sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping and lemon juice.

Spread cream cheese filling over pie shell. Cover cream cheese filling with lemon filling. Refrigerate overnight. Cover with whipped cream before serving.

Double-crust Raspberry Cherry Pie

Crust:

1 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

6 to 7 tbsp cold water

Filling:

2 cup raspberries

1 cup cherries

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare crust by combining flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender until all flour is just blended in or forms pea-sized chunks. Spring with water a tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fork until dough forms a ball. Divide into two equal parts. Roll out one ball for bottom crust.

Combine filling ingredients except for lemon juice and butter and spoon into crust. Drizzle with lemon juice and dot with butter.

Roll remaining pastry to fit pie and place over pie filling. Cut slits in top crust.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes longer or until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack.