Rookie from Mount Wolf Shoos Out the Competition in the Shoofly Pie Competition

Rookie from Mount Wolf Shoos Out the Competition in the Shoofly Pie Competition

1/13/2015

Harrisburg – Bonnie Billet of Mount Wolf, York County who has made only four shoofly pies picked up the top prize at the 2015 Good Food Inc. Shoofly Pie Contest on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the 99^th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Starting 3 years ago, Billet entered her apple pie in a county fair where she took home first place. This enticed her to bake and enter more of her creations in local fairs. Although she has never eaten Shoofly pie Billet beat out all other competitors.

Three judges ranked 31 pies at the contest. Judges were Deborah Bender om Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Lillian Kopp of Lancaster County, and Judy Bowlby of Lancaster County.

“There were some very good shoofly pies, some of which I’ve never seen before,” said Judge Deborah Bender. “It’s a nice change, especially when there are so many”

Other winners and hometowns are as follows:

2^nd place – Sharon Kurtz of Emmaus, Lehigh County

3^rd place – Susan Nunan of Danville, Montour County
4^th place – Dorothy Martin of Conestoga, Lancaster County
5^th place – Catherine Ache of Bethlehem, North Hampton County

Grandma’s Shoo-Fly Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

Filling:

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup Golden Barrel molasses

1 ½ All-Purpose flour

1 cup boiling water

Topping:

1 ½ cup All-Purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup packed brown sugar

6 Tablespoons cold butter

Line pastry with heavy-duty foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove foil, brush crust with egg yolk. Bake 5 minutes longer, cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, molasses, egg, flour and baking soda, gradually add boiling water. Cool to room temperature, pour into crust.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and filling is set. Cool on a wire rack.

Pastry shell:

1 1/3 cup All-Purpose flour

½ cup shortening

½ teaspoon salt

3 to 4 Tablespoons of cold water

In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening using pastry blender, until mixture forms pea-sized chucks. Sprinkle with water, one tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fork until dough forms ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out onto a lightly flour surface into a circle, invert into a pie pan.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibitors. The show runs Jan. 10-17 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Admission is free and parking is $10. Visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us for details.

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The Shoofly Pie Contest is a popular one among visitors at the 99^th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Many people line up to taste test the pies after the event has concluded.

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Bonnie Billet, Mt. Wolf, York Co., the first place winner of the Shoofly Pie Contest smiles brightly with Catherine Ache, holding her mother’s fifth place Shoofly Pie at the 99^th Pennsylvania Farm Show on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

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Bonnie Billet, Mt. Wolf, York Co. won first place at the Shoofly Pie Contest during the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show on Tuesday, Jan. 13.