Blue Ribbon Pie
Susannah Kerest
April 09, 2026
Front Porch Forum hosts online newsletters in every town in Vermont. Neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, and government officials can post messages, share news, get advice, make recommendations, announce events, sell items, and much more. It's all about helping neighbors to connect and build community.
Each week, one posting is selected for its humor, storytelling, or community-building, and then shared throughout the state. And, now you can read it here in The Bridge Weekly.
"Today I had the pleasure of attending the 'Back Roads Stories' event at the Broad Brook Community Center. I told a story about a blue ribbon pie, baked solo, by my then 9-year-old daughter, and its not-so-tragic demise at the fair. The pie was baked using her great-great-great-gramma's recipe. I was asked if I would publish the recipe. So, here it is!
Filling:
5 -6 large apples washed, peeled, cut into maybe 3/4" to 1" chunks, not thin slices. We want this pie to brown and bubble without the apples turning to mush!
Mix together and set aside:
1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1tsp nutmeg, 1 heaping Tbsp flour
Make the easy peasy double crust:
2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, whisk together, 1/2+ cup oil, 1/4 cup milk
Mix lightly with fork then fingers. If too dry - add more oil, not milk. Don't over mix. Roll out between layers of waxed paper and flip into pie plate.
"Now here's Gramma Canfield's best trick - spread half of the sugar mix into the bottom crust. Then pile in apples, sprinkle the rest over, dot with butter, add the top crust, pinch and cut vents. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce to 350 for about an hour or so, until it's golden brown and bubbling."
"Pie is my happy place. Sometimes I dream that we could achieve world peace if we could only bake enough pies. Who could not share love while sharing pie? The world could use a little extra love just now - in any way we are moved to give it."
For more stories and useful connection in your own Vermont town, join Front Porch Forum by visiting frontporchforum.com.
Each week, one posting is selected for its humor, storytelling, or community-building, and then shared throughout the state. And, now you can read it here in The Bridge Weekly.
"Today I had the pleasure of attending the 'Back Roads Stories' event at the Broad Brook Community Center. I told a story about a blue ribbon pie, baked solo, by my then 9-year-old daughter, and its not-so-tragic demise at the fair. The pie was baked using her great-great-great-gramma's recipe. I was asked if I would publish the recipe. So, here it is!
Filling:
5 -6 large apples washed, peeled, cut into maybe 3/4" to 1" chunks, not thin slices. We want this pie to brown and bubble without the apples turning to mush!
Mix together and set aside:
1 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1tsp nutmeg, 1 heaping Tbsp flour
Make the easy peasy double crust:
2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, whisk together, 1/2+ cup oil, 1/4 cup milk
Mix lightly with fork then fingers. If too dry - add more oil, not milk. Don't over mix. Roll out between layers of waxed paper and flip into pie plate.
"Now here's Gramma Canfield's best trick - spread half of the sugar mix into the bottom crust. Then pile in apples, sprinkle the rest over, dot with butter, add the top crust, pinch and cut vents. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce to 350 for about an hour or so, until it's golden brown and bubbling."
"Pie is my happy place. Sometimes I dream that we could achieve world peace if we could only bake enough pies. Who could not share love while sharing pie? The world could use a little extra love just now - in any way we are moved to give it."
For more stories and useful connection in your own Vermont town, join Front Porch Forum by visiting frontporchforum.com.
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