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Well I will not be going anywhere soon but I will be cheering you on, will the festival be on T.V? May I ask what kind of a pie your going to make or are you not allowed to reveal that? Speaking of pies do you have any over the top apple pie recipes for a pie, tart, crumble? I have a bunch of apples that I need to do something with but I want to make something a little better then the same old apple pie. Also with strawberries got a bunch maybe a chiffon pie I am stumped. I don't make pies that often cause i hate to make crust so I bought the crust, I just want to amke something really over the top. Well anyways good luck and let us know what is going on.

pjracz10 - I've entered an apple pie - I've been working on the pastry recipe for two years. I found out I was allergic to soy and started working on an all-butter crust for the first time, but could never get it quite as flakey as with shortening. I finally figured it out...and then enrolled in culinary school. Which, if I had done sooner, would have probably figured out the dough recipe faster - LOL! There are still a few days left, so I may enter one more - possibly a custard style.

I'm still very new at baking sweets - pies and creme brulee are as adventurous as I've gone so far. But, if I could bake a super apple pie...hmmm....maybe instead of a whole pie, make mini pies - almost like a calzone, but deep fry them and top with powdered sugar. Actually, an apple calzone with sweetened mascarpone cheese sounds pretty good. Or an apple cheesecake, with a bottom layer of almonds and cookie crumbs, roasted apples and caramel next, and then your cheesecake layer (although that's not really a pie, but sounds yummy). I think I'm craving cheese.

Chiffon pie sounds wonderful. I've never tried it, but I imagine fluffy strawberry magic! Other things you can make with strawberries - of course, strawberry shortcake, strawberry fool, or adding layers of strawberry to chocolate cake...even better, take the strawberry chiffon and layer with chocolate cake. Can you freeze the chiffon? Sounds like it might make an easy frozen treat.

meem21 - I love that you added cranberries to the pie - what a neat idea. I bet the slice looked beautiful with the red berries.

@meem21 and Wicked- The both of you have got my wheels churning, thanks. I have this apple booze that I was wondering if I should add to the apple pie to add a flavor kick to it, ever try that before? The apple cheese cake with the nutty crust drizzled with caramel and maybe choc. sounds really good, acutally it is driving me insane thinking about it. The mascarpone sounds like heaven. You know how some people like to eat cheddar with their apple pie? I wonder how an apple and cheddar calzone would taste like? Next time I make a good ole fashioned apple pie I am going to add cranberries to it. BTY how did it turn out?

Good luck Dawn! I'll be there...scarfing down pie at the "all you can eat pie" buffet.

Good luck Dawn! Keep us posted...

Best of luck! Have fun no matter the outcome; the other contestants always seem to nice, and the weather should be nice!