Pitty goes out to Daniel Tinch and Jesse Blackburn. They had to judge 26 pies in Relay for Hope pie contest. The event concluded with a pie auction that generated $1,438 – at nearly $40 per pie– to the American Cancer Society.

• First place - April Dorman of Bluffton, rhubarb meringue
• Second place - Kathy Smith of Arlington, peach-mango
• Third place - Mikayla Norway of Arlington, mixed berry

Dave Warren was the auctioneer. Prizes were donated by Findlay's Whirlpool, Thrivent Financial and the Trenton Avenue Wal-Mart.

In case you missed the auction, here's the recipes for the top three winners:

April Dorman's 1st Place Rhubarb Meringue Pie

1 baked pie crust
3 1/2-4 cups chopped rhubarb stalks (about 1 lb.)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 Tablespoons instant tapioca OR 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour
   OR 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gently mix the cut rhubarb, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and ground ginger in a medium saucepan.  Let it set for 15 minutes so the sugar macerates the rhubarb and liquid is released.

Cook over medium heat. Stir in the tapioca OR starch. Slowly heat the rhubarb until steamy. You want to gently cook the rhubarb until it is a little tender but not falling apart.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

While the rhubarb is cooking, get started on the meringue.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream of tartar and sugar and set aside.

In a small saucepan, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Heat and stir with a whisk until the mixture gets bubbly and forms a gel. Remove from heat.

With a mixer, beat the egg whites and the vanilla, starting on low and gradually increasing the speed to medium. Once the egg whites are frothy, slowly add the sugar and cream of tartar mixture, one Tablespoon at a time.  Beat until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks.

Then add the cornstarch mixture, one Tablespoon at a time, increasing the mixer speed to high and beat until the mixture forms stiff peeks. Be careful not to over-beat.

The filling needs to be piping hot when the meringue goes on so if it has cooled, reheat it until it is steamy.

Pour the rhubarb mixture into the pre-baked pie shell, spreading it evenly.

Using a rubber spatula, immediately spread the meringue evenly around the edge and then onto the center of the pie to keep it from sinking into the filling. Make sure that the meringue attaches to the pie crust to prevent shrinking. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks all over the meringue.

Bake at 325 degrees until the meringue is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until it is room temperature.

This pie can be refrigerated but it is best served the same day it is made.

Serves 8.

Kathy Smith's Peach-Mango Pie

Pastry for a double crust 9” pie
2 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 cups peeled and sliced mango
½ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9” pie pan with half of the pastry.

Combine the peaches, mango, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Put in the pastry lined pie pan. Dot with the butter.

Cover with the top pastry. Pinch the edges to seal. Cut several vents in the top.

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Mikayla Norway's 3rd place Mixed Berry Pie

Pie Crust:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
14 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup ice-cold water
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk for egg wash
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Keep ½ cup ice-cold water in the refrigerator. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt. Add in half of the butter and pulse for 30 seconds. Add in the rest of the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle about 6 Tablespoons of the ice-cold water over the mixture and pulse until the dough comes together in clumps. If dry, add a little bit more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough from the processor and pat into a disk. Divide the dough into two disks, one slightly bigger than the other and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for a least an hour or overnight. The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Let the dough stand at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling out.

Roll out the larger disk on a lightly floured surface to a large circle. Fit into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. Trim the edges leaving an inch or two overhang. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling:
5-6 cups fresh mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
Zest and juice of ½ lemon (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
½ cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cornstarch OR all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

In a medium bowl, toss the berries with the zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract. Toss in the sugars, cornstarch, salt and ground ginger making sure that the berries are well coated and the cornstarch disappears.

Fill the pie crust with the berry mixture, piling it high in the center.

Roll out the second dough and cut it into strips to create a lattice top. Crimp the edges of the strips with a fork.

Whisk the egg and 1 Tablespoon milk in a small bowl. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Chill for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.Let the pie cool for at least 2-3 hours before serving.