The best professional and amateur pie-makers descended upon Orlando, Florida, last month for the 24th annual APC National Pie Championships at the Rosen Centre Hotel.

It was there that 714 pies were presented by 71 pie-makers and entered into three divisions.

In the commercial division, Bakers Square won the most first place ribbons with 25, while the inventive pies from Chef Kathy Hanson from the Ritz Carlton Orlando and amateur Jennifer Nystrom from Clarksville, Ohio also reigned supreme.

Chef Hanson won the professional best of show out of 107 pies. Titled “I Love a Great Love Pie,” it won in the Royal Wedding category — which is a one-time category created to commemorate the royal nuptials between Prince Henry of Wales and Meghan Markle. Hanson’s best of show pie featured bananas Foster with vanilla bean and Marcona almond honey cookie crust and sprinkled on top with “Markle Sparkles.”

“Bananas Foster was a favorite dessert of my parents who had their own great love story,” said Hanson. “I Love a Great Love Pie is a testament to their love for one another and the celebration of the beginning of another great love story.”

Chef Hanson has been the culinary training cook at the Ritz Carlton Orlando for the past eight-and-a-half years and has participated at the National Pie Council since 2007 — initially as an amateur and then the past nine as a professional. Hanson earned second place in 2008 in the custard category and has either placed or received honorable mention in six NPC competitions since. She entered 13 pies in 2018. In addition to best of show, she placed first four times and received one honorable mention.

Hanson’s advice to those who strive to bake that great recipe, “Bake with love. Bake with your passion. Use your integrity with your ingredients — the freshest you can find.”

Jennifer Nystrom has competed in the NPC for nine years, having at least placed all but two years. This year, she entered seven pies, earned four ribbons and scored best of show in the amateur division — out of 185 pies — with her Chocolate Caramel Turtle Sundae Pie.

“I’ve been baking forever for my children,” stated Nystrom. “In recent years, I’ve been able to have a great time with my now 6-year-old granddaughter who loves to bake with me. Pie is a way to give someone something they might need — whether they’re going through a rough time or simply need to be cheered up. To me, this is the best way to celebrate or brighten up a day!”

The chocolate pie was created using professional chocolates provided by the Guittard Chocolate Company, which sponsored the chocolate pie flavor category for the first time in 2018.

During the annual pie championships, amateur, professional and commercial bakers entered their most delicious pies among an array of flavor categories for bragging rights to be named the nation’s best. From apple and pumpkin to savory potpies, hundreds of pies were sampled by more than 200 judges.

“We had an incredible array of competitors this year,” said Linda Hoskins, executive director of the American Pie Council. “It’s evident that our best of show winners put much passion into their pie craft, have learned from their past experiences at the championship; and coupled this learning with their passion to be the nation’s best.”

The 25th APC National Pie Championships will be held April 11-13, 2019, at the Renaissance Sea World Hotel in Orlando.

Recipes and photos of the best of show and all top award-winning pies are available at piecouncil.org.

The American Pie Council is the only organization committed to preserving America’s pie heritage and promoting American’s love affair with pies. Designed to raise awareness, enjoyment and consumption of sweet and savory pies, the APC offers amateur, professional and commercial memberships. As part of the Pie Community members can participate in a variety of network and promotional opportunities provided by the APC and will have access to all information for the pie baking industry. The APC has designated and registered National Pie Day: Jan. 23.

For more information about the American Pie Council and to learn more about next year’s National Pie Championships, visit PieCouncil.org.

Amateur entry

Guittard’s Chocolate Caramel Turtle Sundae Pie

Jennifer Nystrom, Clarksville, Ohio

2018 National Pie Championships 1st Place Guittard Chocolate category

Best of Show

Crust:

1½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ganache:

12 ounces Guittard’s Organic 66 percent semisweet wafers

6 ounces heavy whipping cream

Caramel:

20 caramels

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1¼ cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup sugar

Topping:

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Garnish:

2 ounces Guittard’s Organic 66 percent semisweet wafers

5 caramels

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

¼ cup chopped salted peanuts

For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9 inch, deep dish pie plate, mix well the melted butter, chocolate graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Press evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake in a preheated, 375 F degree oven for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.

While the crust is cooling, make your ganache by placing the chocolate wafers in a medium glass bowl. Put the whipping cream in a heat proof measuring cup and microwave it on high at 30 second intervals until boiling. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate wafers and let sit for 3-5 minutes to melt. Once it has sat, stir well until all the wafers have melted and the cream is fully incorporated. Mixture should have a smooth shine to it.

After the crust has cooled for at least 15 minutes, cover the bottom of the pie crust with about ½-¾ cup of the ganache. Set aside the rest as you will be using it in the filling.

Cool the ganache covered crust in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. While the crust is cooling, make the caramel by unwrapping and placing the caramels in a heatproof 4-cup measuring cup. Pour the ¼ cup cream over the caramels and heat in the microwave on high at 30 second intervals until caramels are soft, about a total of 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir the caramel-cream mixture well with a whisk until very smooth. Add the chopped peanuts, mixing well with a spatula.

Spread the caramel-peanut mixture over the now cooled ganache topped pie shell. Set aside to cool while making the filling.

To make the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until fluffy. Add the cream and whip until light and fluffy. Add the remainder of the ganache until fully incorporated and starting to get lighter in color, about 3 minutes.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the caramel mixture in the pie plate. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

After pie has fully chilled, make your topping by whipping together the heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until semi-firm peaks form.

Make chocolate drizzle by microwaving the 2 ounces of chocolate wafer chips and cream in a heat proof small bowl for about 30 seconds. Stir well to make a smooth sauce. Heat an additional 15-30 seconds if necessary.

Make caramel drizzle by microwaving for about 30-45 seconds the 5 caramels with the 1 tablespoon of cream in a small heatproof bowl. Whisk well, to make a smooth sauce.

Pipe the whipping cream on pie; then drizzle the chocolate sauce and caramel sauce over the whipping cream. Top with chopped peanuts. Serve and Enjoy!!

Professional entry

I Love A Great Love Pie (Banana Cream Pie)

Royal Wedding:

Kathy Hanson

Crust:

1½ cups finely crushed Milk and Honey Cookies

¼ cup crushed toasted almonds

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

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.

Filling:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1¼ cup half & half

1 cup heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 cup cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 bananas

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

In a cold sauce pan combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in the half & half and the heavy cream stir until smooth. Scrap the vanilla bean into the mixture and cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Cover and cook 15 minutes stirring several times. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks slightly. Stir ½ cup of the hot liquid into the egg yolks, mixing well. Pour back into the top of the double boiler; cook mixture 2 minutes longer, and continue to stir. Remove from the heat. Add the almond extract. Pour the filling into a chinois (mesh sleeve strainer) resting over a medium-sized bowl and strain the filling to remove any possible lumps. Cool to room temperature, slice the bananas and place in the bottom of the pie crust, pour all but 1 cup of the cream filling over the bananas. In mixing bowl whip cream cheese and add the powder sugar, and reserved cream filling. Fold in by hand the whipped vanilla topping. Cover the filling with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skim from forming. Refrigerate until completely cool. Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Lightly toast the remaining and sprinkle over the whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds.

Vanilla whipped topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powder sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip until firm and creamy. Add the powder sugar and the vanilla. Continue to whip until peaks form. Pipe over the top of the pie.