FLAVOR EXCHANGE

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 1, 2003 by Capital-Journal

H.R. Cook is letting us in on his secret to a great pie.

Use a really big rolling pin.

Cook, who won first prize at Cider Days' first-ever apple pie contest, is no stranger to blue ribbons. He won first prize in the pie contest at last year's Apple Festival.

OK, there is a little more to a prize-winning pie than equipment. Cook said he always uses fresh ingredients. In his crust, he uses half lard (for the flavor) and half Crisco (for flakiness).

He said he picked up an extra-wide, stainless steel rolling pin recently at an auction selling restaurant supplies.

"It really gets the crust out there quickly," Cook said.

Here is H.R.'s winning recipe:

Stage Masters

Apple Pie

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup lard, at room temperature

1/3 cup Crisco

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

6 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon butter

For crust: Mix flour and salt, and cut lard and Crisco. Add water and mix to dough consistency. Divide and roll out two crusts. Line pie plate with one crust.

For filling: Mix apples, sugars, cinnamon, apple pie spice, nutmeg, flour and lemon juice. Put mixture into crust-lined pie plate, and dot filling with butter.

Cover with second crust and seal edges. Cut slits to vent.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 380 degrees. Remove foil and bake for 40 minutes longer.

Remove pie from oven and let stand for 5 to 10 hours to cool.

Choosing between first and second place was difficult. Barbara Lewis brought a pie with a topping of sugared pecans. Here is Barbara's recipe:

Apple Pecan

Crunch

10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix apples with sugar, flour cinnamon, lemon juice and butter. Place in a 9-inch, unbaked pie shell.

Topping: Mix 1/3 stick of butter, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Crumble and sprinkle on top of apple filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Next week, we will have a look at the best recipes from the Apple Festival's pie contest. To enter, take your pie to the Clay Street entrance of Historic Ward-Meade Park (north of 1st Street) between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Judging begins at 12:45 p.m.

Send requests or recipes to be shared to: Lisa Sandmeyer, Recipe Exchange, The Topeka Capital-Journal, 616 S.E. Jefferson, Topeka, Kan., 66607-1194 or lsandmeyer@cjonline.com.