Great America Pie Festival

Crisco sponsors the "Great American Pie Festival" every year in Celebration, Florida.    I am very close to the idyllic town (even more idyllic during said festival!) and decided to pop over this year to see what it was all about.   To avoid possible guilt trips, I first ran 5 miles.   Highly recommended in order to be able to indulge in such a gluttonous afternoon.

It did not disappoint.  The even itself is free (think demonstrations, local high school bands and dance groups, craft show set up of folks selling goods) but $10 per adult got us admittance to the Never Ending Pie Buffet.  This is, pretty much, just what it sounds like.   Multiple pie vendors set up several varieties on folding tables.  You take what you want (don't worry- plastic forks abound) and enjoy.  

The set up was not conducive to photo snapping.... Picture if you will about 10 tents on each side of the street, each full of banquet tables stacked high with pieces of pie.   Each vendor had at least 3 varieties, most had 5 or 6!  Talk about decision making.

I am a dessert monster as many people know.   Michael is less of a sugar monster;  I ate a bunch more pie than he did.  There were the typical apple, cherry, berry, chocolate, key lime, etc. and they were all quite tasty.  But I did manage to find 3 that were new to me.

Village Inn's Lemon Blueberry Supreme: Each layer totally different!  From bottom to top, pie crust, lemon supreme (lemony cream cheese), lemon cake, whipped topping, and fresh blueberries slightly mashed up.

Lemon Chess: A thicker version of lemon meringue.  Think lemon bar, but in pie form.   I learned that
this is a Southern favorite... so maybe I am just a Yankee who is clueless?  Either way, it was darn good.  (Bless their heart!)

Dixie: Pecan pie's more interesting cousin.  Turns out chocolate chips, walnuts, and pecan filling all combined is a great idea.  Again, props to the southern bakers for thinking of this one.

The best news of the day, perhaps, was that all the varieties included in the buffet were available for purchase as whole pies!  

I bought a Dixie and stuck it in the fridge yesterday afternoon.   After the buffet, we were not in the mood to eat any last night.   Good thing that didn't last long... I tried a piece after lunch today with a cup of tea.... whoa boy.   Dixie tastes even better while you are sitting on your couch in your air conditioned living room whilst watching your team win a baseball game.