The Best Road Trip Ever...and I missed it

Back in December, I wrote about the National Pie Council's Annual Pie Championships (April 24-26) in Orlando and encouraged all of you to enter your favorite creation. Since the weekend coincided with the Great American Pie Festival (yes, a festival devoted to PIE), it was probably one of the best road trips ever -- one that I didn't take. I am particularly sad that I missed the 70,000 slices of pie in the Never Ending Pie Buffet.*

There is a brighter side, there were 900 pies put before 170 competition judges and 266 of them were entered by amateurs from across the US and Canada. The "Best of Show" amateur winner was Phyllis Szymanek's "Category Five Peanut Butter Pie." If you are like me and you missed all the delicious festivities, you can whip up Phyllis' creation yourself because the Pie Council sent us the recipe. If you are a pie fan or a pie baker, this weekend-o-pie is something to put on your travel list for next year.

Happy eating!

Category Five Peanut Butter Pie
by Phyllis Szymanek, Toledo, Ohio

Crust:
1 1/3 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter (unsalted)

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until blended; pour into a 9" pie dish sprayed with Crisco cooking spray. Press into the bottom and sides; bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool

Peanut Butter Filling:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup Jiff creamy peanut butter
3 TBS softened butter (unsalted)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (save small amount for garnish)

Mix first three ingredients in a small bowl. Spread into the bottom of cooled pie shell and sprinkle with peanuts.

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBS corn starch
1 TBS Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup Jiff peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 small (.55 oz) frozen peanut butter cups, chopped

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt over medium heat. Gradually stir in milk until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in one cup of hot filling into the beaten egg yolks. Return all to sauce pan, stirring constantly. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Let cool, fold in 5 chopped peanut butter cups. Pour into cooled pie shell. Garnish with whipped topping and remaining chopped peanut butter cups and remaining chopped peanuts.



*extra pie was donated to Feeding America

Image credit: The National Pie Council