Delicious desserts abound in contest
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on October 5, 2016 10:03 AM
Susan Elliott was the one to watch out for at this year's pie baking contest at the county fair. She entered four pies and walked away with three first place ribbons.
The ribbons were for her sweet potato strudel, banana split and salted caramel apple pies. Her million dollar pie didn't place.
"I was surprised when they called my name for three first place ribbons," Ms. Elliott said. "I started entering pies in the contest about 10 years ago. The first time, I really didn't think I was going to win, but I did."
She said she figures out what's good to her and takes into consideration what's trendy, like the salted caramel apple pie, and makes her pies.
This year, there were 30 pies in the adult division and 30 in the junior division.
Joyce Jenkins, owner of the Serving Spoon Catering Service in Pine Level, judged for the second year.
"I like it," she said. "It gives me an opportunity to go out and taste some of what other bakers are doing, especially the young bakers.
"This year, the pies were great."
The pie contest at the fair has become a multi-generational thing.
Colleen Warrick, 29, has been entering since she was 6.
"It's tradition in my family," she said. "It was born in me. It's in my blood."
Her mother, Margey Smith, began entering pies at the fair when she was about Colleen's age and has been ever since.
Colleen won this year with her nut pie. She wouldn't divulge exactly what kind of nut pie, though.
"It's a secret," she said. "It was a version of a pecan pie, we'll put it that way."
She also made a raspberry cream, berry and tomato tart pies, but those didn't place.
Colleen said she and her mother don't bake their pies together, but do call each other for advice sometimes.
"And we call each other a few weeks in advance of the contest to ask if the other has her pie recipes yet," she said. "And we tell each other, 'Here's what I'm doing. Oh, you better be ready for this.'"
Mackenzie Hinson won a first place ribbon for her apple cranberry pie her very first time of entering the contest.
"I didn't think I would win," the 12-year-old said. "When they called my name, I got excited."
Her pie had a homemade crust with brown sugar on the top. On top of that, she put hearts cut out of crust.
Ava Walker, 11, entered the contest last year. This year, she made a coconut cream pie.
"I had made it twice and my family really liked it," she said. "And it's pretty easy. So I made it for the contest. I like to bake at home. I like making desserts."
Jackie Flowers and Leigh Sanders are mother and daughter directors of the pie contest.
"I started helping my mother when I was 16 and I'm 52 now," Leigh said. "It's like a family tradition. My mother started in the early 1972 and when I turned 16, I was old enough to start helping."
Leigh said she enjoys seeing the pie bakers every year.
"We have watched generations of families come through," she said. "We're on third and fourth generations now."
She's also amazed to see the pies decorated so pretty each year.
"They outdo themselves every year," Leigh said of the pie bakers.