VillageFest organizers were able to squeeze in one favorite Fourth of July tradition against the backdrop of torrential rains Tuesday: The fifth annual Prairie Village Pie Baking Contest.
The sheets of rain that were falling as the drop-off deadline neared at 8:30 a.m. kept the number of entries this year low, with just 16 bakers willing to brave the storm. But, said organizer Susan Forrest, some top-notch work came in.
“The number of entries may have been low but the quality of the entries was high,” Forrest said.
This year’s winners were:
Grand Prize: Marianne Noll for her chocolate espresso creme pie.
Fruit Category
1st: Gayle Callahan of Prairie Village
2nd: Shelby Ross of Prairie Village
3rd: Brenda Grabb of Prairie Village
Other than Fruit Category
1st: Jill Jolicoeur of Leawood
2nd: Samantha Santora of Kansas City, Mo.
3rd: Brittney Hunter of Prairie Village
Youth Category
1st: Josie Gowen of PV
Noll was kind enough to share the winning recipe so you all can give it a try yourselves:
Chocolate Espresso Pie
Crust
12 Pepperidge Farm Milano dark chocolate cookies
7 Oreo cookies
2 Tbs melted butter
Finely grind cookies in food processor. Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press into a 9½
inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Chocolate Filling
7 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup Trader Joe’s Coffee Blast ice cream
3 cups miniature marshmallows
In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate, ice cream and marshmallows. Microwave for 1 minute, stir and continue heating at 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted and marshmallows are beginning to melt. Wisk ingredients until smooth. Spread ½ cup of filling into the bottom of the pie crust. Place in refrigerator to cool.
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
Beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold ½ of the whipped cream into the remaining chocolate mixture until blended. Then repeat with the remaining whipped cream. Put into pie shell and refrigerate while you prepare the topping.
Espresso Topping
1/3 cup Trader Joe’s Coffee Blast ice cream
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ tsp instant espresso powder
In a microwave safe bowl combine ice cream, chocolate chips and espresso powder. Heat for one minute, stir and continue heating at 30 second intervals until chips are melted. Wisk to combine. Set aside to cool.
1 cup whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Beat until stiff peaks form and fold into cooled ice cream, white chip mixture. Pipe onto the top of the cooled pie. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Adapted from a recipe by Patricia Lapiezo
