National Pie Day 2014

I learned about National Pie Day (not to be confused with Pi Day) last January and threw together a pie baking contest with my co-workers. The prize for the best pie was a diet book that we were going to sell in a garage sale. When we moved to Florida I thought it would be a great idea to continue the tradition with my new co-workers. This year we had prizes in 5 categories: Best Dessert Pie, Best Savory Pie, Best Healthy Pie, Most Visually Appealing Pie, and Pie of the Year. While we only had 4 official contestants (store-bought pies were ineligible), my co-workers didn't disappoint. I found an apple pie recipe on the Food Network website. I was going to make Alton Brown's apple pie, but it was a little complicated and required to many ingredients that we didn't have on-hand. Ning brought in an Oreo ice cream pie, Ronald made a shepherd's pie, and Jennifer made a sweet potato casserole in pie form. Elias planned to make a pizza, but he ran out of time Wednesday night. Ronald's shepherd's pie was the clear winner of the day taking home the Best Savory Pie, Best Healthy Pie, and Pie of the Year awards. I'll admit, the healthy pie award was a bit of a stretch, but the shepherd's pie was the closest thing we had to healthy. I took home the Most Visually Appealing Pie and Ning won the Best Dessert Pie. The prizes this year were pie servers.

All the ingredients assembled.

Fresh out of the oven.

All of the pies assembled for the tasting.

The prizes.

The aftermath.

Fruit Pizza

I've had this at many a potluck and have always enjoyed it.  But in my enjoyment, I've always forgotten to ask for the recipe.  Enter Pinterest.  Found this gem a couple months ago and was waiting for a reason to try it.  A last minute B-day celebration at work seemed like the perfect guinea pig.  Thanks for making it a hit, Betty!

Cheers!

Fruit Pizza via Betty Crocker

1  pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1/2  cup butter or margarine, melted
1  egg
1  cup whipping cream
1/2  cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting (from 1-lb container)
3 1/2  cups assorted fresh fruit (I used kiwi, strawberries and an orange)

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray 14-inch pizza pan or 15x10-inch baking pan (I used a cookie sheet) with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, melted butter and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown (follow the recipe on the cookie package). Cool completely, about 45 minutes (this is really important).  In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently stir frosting into whipped cream. Spread over cookie pizza. Arrange fruit on top. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Nutritional Info (for the health nuts):

1 Serving (1 Serving)  Calories 380 (Calories from Fat 190), Total Fat 22g (Saturated Fat 11g,Trans Fat 1/2g), Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 28g), Protein 3g;

Stats:
Servings: 12
Time:  1hr 20min
Leftovers:  yes
Cost:  less than $11 (but this will allow you to make it a few times...)