The cooking contests at this year’s N.C. State Fair bestowed ribbons on two recipes that are worth considering for your Thanksgiving dessert table: a pecan pie cake and a honey pecan pumpkin pie.
The two recipes and a pecan cranberry roll appetizer were highlighted by Lisa Prince, who oversees the contests each year and hosts UNC-TV’s “Flavor, NC” television show. Prince says the judges unanimously agreed – something that rarely happens – that Melissa Bentley’s pecan pie cake deserved the blue ribbon in the Karo Delightful Dessert Contest.
Bentley, 48, of Zebulon, is a regular state fair competitor. She’s won 16 ribbons in the baking and cooking contests since she started entering eight years ago. But this year was Bentley’s best showing yet: five blue ribbons, including a best in show in the baking contest.
The idea for a pecan pie cake sprung from her quest to transform the achingly sweet pecan pie into more palatable dessert. The result is a three-layer cake with pecan pie filling between each layer and a cinnamon whipped cream custard frosting.
Unlike pies with their troublesome crusts, which can be intimidating to some home cooks, Bentley believes her cake is more approachable. “I love to do things that other people will want to make,” she said.
If you would like to check out all this year’s winning recipes, go to goo.gl/gUg8j.
To see printable versions of these recipes, click on the link below:
Weigl: 919-829-4848
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