Butterfinger Surprise Pie

You can bet your Butterfinger this chocolate cream pie will put a Twinkie in your eye!

This pie received a red ribbon at the Stoughton Fair, but still sold for $100 at the pie auction.

40 NILLA Wafers
5 Tbsp. butter, melted 
1 pkg. snack size Butterfinger candy bars 

2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

2 cups  cold milk

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

4 Hostess Twinkies

Milk chocolate 

Crush wafers; mix with butter until well blended. Press onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.

Crush 5 Butterfinger bars, set aside. Crush remaining candy bars.

Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Stir in half the COOL WHIP and larger portion of crushed candy pieces. Spread half of pudding mixture into cooled pie crust.

Slice Twinkies crosswise and arrange in a layer in pie. Top with remaining pudding mixture.

Spread remaining COOL WHIP on top of pie. Garnish with crushed Butterfingers (small portion) and melted milk chocolate.

Tropical Strawberry Pie

This pie was awarded Best in Class at the Stoughton Fair Pie Baking Contest in 2011. It sold at the auction for $130.

I found the recipe at Kraft Foods and made a minor adjustment to the crust.  

40 NILLA Wafers
5 Tbsp. butter, melted 
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 
1/4 cup sugar 
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided 
1 can  (8 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple, drained 
3/4 cup boiling water 
1 pkg.  (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin 
1 cup ice cubes 
2 cups  sliced strawberries 

Crush wafers; mix with butter until well blended. Press onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP and pineapple; spread over crust. 

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in ice until melted. Add strawberries; stir. Refrigerate 5 min. or until slightly thickened; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.

I also garnished it with a pineapple ring, kiwi slices and a whole strawberry.

It's time for pies!

Today was the day for the pie competition at the Stoughton Fair.

I began competing in this a number of years ago when my aunt-in-law suggested I give it a try.

For the contest, pies are made by area residents and brought to the fair on Saturday morning. Three judges spend three to four hours sampling and rating the pies, which can range in numbers from 60 to 100+. This year there were 109 pies in the contest. After a champion is selected, the pies sit on display until the afternoon auction.

The pie auction takes place at 3:30 p.m. Each pie is sold with half the money going to support the fair and the other half to the pie exhibitor.

The money is nice, but the contest is truly about supporting the fair and, of course, bragging rights for the year to come.

This year was my fifth year in the contest. I'm proud to say that from past years I am a two-time recipient of Best of Show (Grand Champion) with a third pie receiving Best in Class. This year my pies received a Best in Class award and red ribbon.

In honor of this fair time tradition, I've started a new tab on my blog. To easily access my winning and other delicious pie recipes, just go to the "Perfect Pies" tab on my blog.