by Maggie Fitzgibbon
THINKSTOCKGet out your rolling pins and don your aprons – it’s time to enter the 2012 Hilton Apple Fest Apple Pie Contest.
The contest is open to adults and youth. Prizes are offered to the winners in both divisions. Last year, the contest had 37 pie entries; five winners were awarded cash prizes. The contest will run the same this year and all pie makers (except Apple Fest board members and those who reside in their household) are invited to enter.
Linda Viney is the Hilton Apple Fest board member who coordinates this contest and she encourages people to enter.
“This is a fun and educational undertaking and could even be a family project. Apple pie is one of New York state’s favorite pies and what better place to be than in apple country,” Viney said.
Hilton resident Karen Ciufo won first place and $100 in 2011; she made a pie made with Empire, Macoun, Mutsu and Gala Apples.
“I still have my blue ribbon,” Ciufo said. She’s a licensed cosmetologist by trade but once her workday is done, you’ll find her in the kitchen. “I love to bake; it’s my therapy,” she said.
Ciufo won’t divulge her secret apple pie recipe, but will give a few details.
“It’s a recipe that was passed down from a family member and I’ve played with the ingredients. I’ve been making this pie for ten years. I won second place in the Apple Fest Apple Pie Contest in 2009,” she shared.
This Hilton resident is eager to praise the local farmers and growers and the plentiful crop of apples.
“We live in an area rich with farms and it’s great to prepare food with these crops. You can’t beat a homemade apple pie,” Ciufo said.
Do you have a favorite apple pie recipe? Visit your local farm market, pick up some homegrown apples and whip up your best pie. Entry fees and forms for the Apple Pie Contest are due by September 26. Contestants must submit a freshly baked homemade 8-inch pie in a disposable pan. All pies must be made with New York state apples. Pies must be delivered to the Ingham Room at the Hilton Community Center on September 29 before 9:15 a.m. The winners will be announced at the Apple Fest on September 29 at 4:00 p.m.
Check Suburban News for a full list of rules and entry form, or go to the Apple Fest website at www.hiltonapplefest.org.
