N.C. State Fair: Pillsbury contest's winning pie recipes

Here are the winning recipes from Sunday's Pillsbury Pet-Ritz Pie Baking contest. Domino Ireland's Nutella cream pie took first place, while Judy Myklebust of Durham placed second with a sour-cream raisin pie and Shelley Gregory of Burlington's Bavarian port pear pie won third place. 

I was one of the 16 judges at this year's pie contest because there were 98 entries. I think if you love Nutella, you will love Ireland's blue-ribbon pie. But if you're not that much a fan, I'd try one of the other ribbon-winning pies. I will be cooking the sour cream raisin, which was so delightfully different. I am always cautious with desserts that use alcohol, which can often overpower the other flavors. That is not the case with this Bavarian port pear pie.

First Place: Domino Ireland of Raleigh

Whipped Nutella Cream Pie

Pillsbury PET-RITZ piecrust package (2 Crusts)
1     8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1     Cup Nutella
1     Cup heavy whipping cream
¼     cup graham cracker crumbs
1     Tbsp brown sugar
Dark and white chocolate, grated for topping

Directions:
Crust: Prepare 1 crust according to directions on package. Take a pizza cutter and cut an inner spiral on the second crush and remove excess. Prepare along with crust 1. Allow to cool.

Filling for the Pie:  Beat the cream cheese, Nutella and brown sugar together until smooth.  Whip the cream (save a dollop for top), and then fold this into the Nutella mixture along with the graham cracker crumbs. Spoon it into the cooled crust and top with grated chocolate. Place the spiral curst on top of that.  Top with a whip of crème to the center. Put it in the freezer to make it Semifreddo like a semi-frozen custard or mousse. Remove it from your freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving so that it has time to soften slightly.

Second Place: Judy Myklebust of Durham

Sour Cream Raisin Pie: Corrected version

Sour Cream Raisin Pie
1    9" deep dish Pet-Ritz pie shell, unbaked
3    eggs, beaten until just mixed
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1   cup sour cream
1   cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnut or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs as directed. Mix in dry ingredients. Stir in sour cream and raisins. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Top should not be too brown. Cool before serving. May garnish with whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.
 

Third Place: Shelley Gregory of Burlington

Bavarian Port Pear Pie

1 Pillsbury Pet Ritz Deep Dish Pie
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon peel, vanilla and salt. Pour in pie crust.

To assemble the poaching liquid:

1 750-milliliter bottle ruby port wine
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 strips lemon zest
1 strip orange zest
1 vanilla bean
6 pears, ripe but firm.  
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the port, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest, and orange zest in a small non-reactive pot. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pot. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Peel the pears and cut in half. Add the pears to the pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until slightly tender.  Flip them over half way through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a plate. Let pears cool.  Boil the poaching liquid another 14 to 16 minutes, or until thickened and slightly syrupy. Stir in the lemon juice, strain through a fine mesh sieve.  Use this to drizzle over the whole pie or the sliced pie on a plate for garnish.

Topping
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts

Assembly
Top filling with pear slices, cinnamon, sugar and chopped walnuts.
Bake at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes.  Crust should be a golden brown and pie should be bubbly. Drizzle poaching glaze over the pie or sliced pie on the plate for a finishing garnish.