Lucinda Donough Wins Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest While Tending to Cows [recipe follows]

Lancaster Farming ^ | 1/7/2025 | Mary Klaus

[simpson96]

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lucinda Donough of Port Royal beat 80 other pie bakers from across the state and won $500, a blue ribbon and bragging rights in the contest considered the “Super Bowl” of Pennsylvania baking.

After spending a day working with 50 cows, the Juniata County dairy farmer who makes a “very plain apple pie” learned Saturday morning she had won the Pennsylvania Farm Show Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest.(snip)

“I came in from the barn, picked up (my) cell phone and had poor reception when I tried to get the Farm Show,” said Donough, who also won the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest in 2018. “So I went outside and was able to listen. As they announced the winners, I got shivers. When Kevin Bieber (contest coordinator) said my name, I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s me. It can’t be. There’s nothing in my pie but apples.’”

Donough said she had trouble getting perfect apples, ending up with half organic Granny Smith and half regular Granny Smith for her pie.

“I like Granny Smith because they are tart, bake well and make a pretty good filling,” she said. “I made a plain pie crust. My pie is as plain as plain can be. I’m surprised to win. But I think there’s something special about a basic apple pie.”

[simpson96]

Lucinda Donough in 2013 with a winning Angel Food cake (only pic I could find)

Lucinda Donough’s Pennsylvania Farm Show Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

Crust:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons shortening 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/3 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons ice water Mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add butter. Blend until it looks like course cornmeal. Add shortening and blend less than with the butter. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until good consistency. Place in refrigerator and let it rest while assembling rest of ingredients. Makes two crusts.

Filling:

7 cups sliced apples 1 cup sugar 3 to 4-1/2 tablespoons or flour depending on juice in apples 4 tablespoons apple juice or cider 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons butter Combine sugar, flour and salt. Add to apples. Sprinkle in lemon juice and apple juice or cider. Cut butter into small pieces and add to filling mixture. Cook until apples are soft.

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup butter, cold Combine all ingredients but butter. Then add butter, working in with fork.

Apple blossoms:

3 large Pink Lady apples, cored and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices. 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons of apple pie spice 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Toss together apples, brown sugar, spice, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Let stand 45 minutes, gently tossing every 15 minutes until apple slices are soft and pliable.

Drain apples, discarding accumulated juice. Arrange apples in overlapping circular pattern on pie, starting on outside edge and continuing in snug spiral shape until reaching the center.

To assemble:

Fill crust with apple filling. Add top crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and at 375 F for 45 minutes.

Then add apple blossom slices and crumb topping. Bake for 15 minutes until brown. Top with jelly and sanding sugar.

[Chainmail]

Great recipe!

[Rio]

Arrange apples in overlapping circular pattern on pie, starting on outside edge and continuing in snug spiral shape until reaching the center.

Maybe this is the secret right here.

[Bon of Babble]

the Juniata County dairy farmer who makes a “very plain apple pie”

Honestly, those are the best kind -the type my grandmother made from apples from her own tree.

No need for anything fancy like so many modern cooks try these days.

[Libloather]

Man hands.

[mabarker1]

Maybe this is the secret right here

I don't think so. The secret is (IMHO) is the JELLY mentioned at the end of the Recipe. Is that supposed to be store bought Apple Jelly ? Or is that a TOP SECRET RECIPE that She is keeping to Herself ???

The way I read this Recipe it's got a Top Crust. Also the Apple Filling is cooked on the stove top. Put into the unbaked Pie Crust, topped with the unbaked Top Crust and then baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and at 375 F for 45 minutes.

Then add the Apple Blossom and Crumble Topping and then baked for another 15 minutes until Crumble Topping is golden brown. Then add the Apple Blossom then with the Crumble Topping on the top of the Blossom and bake.

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"Fill crust with apple filling. Add top crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and at 375 F for 45 minutes. Then add apple blossom slices and crumb topping. Bake for 15 minutes until brown. Top with jelly and sanding sugar."