Would you like a piece of a $2,104 pie? If so, you’d need to taste 25 different pies, but for pie lover that would be perfect.

This past Friday’s Bluffton Relay for Hope’s pie auction generated $2,104 for the cause. Dave Warren was auctioneer of the pie event with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

Jeff Stratton and Matthew Gillett were pie contest judges and after sampling the 25 enter pies decided on these three winners:

First place: Barb Hohenbrink, carmel apple
    (She also won the 2013 contest;
    this year she wins a mixer donated by Whirlpool)
Second place: April Dorman, apple bacon crumb pie
Third place: Sheree Stratton, salted Caramel apple pie

Barb Hohenbrink’s First Place Caramel Pie
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (9 inch)
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and milk until smooth.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Spread half of this mixture into the pie crust.  Drizzle with half of the caramel topping.  Combine the coconut and pecans.  Sprinkle half over the caramel topping.  Repeat the layers and chill until serving.

April Dorman’s Second Place Apple Bacon Crumb Pie
6-8 Granny Smith Apples, sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1 unbaked pie shell

Mix the apple slices, white sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons flour and lemon juice and set aside.  Mix the bacon, 1 cup flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.  Pour the apple mixture into an unbaked pie shell and sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Sheree Stratton’s Third Place Salted Caramel Apple Pie
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 Tablespoons flour
4-5 large apples, peeled and sliced (variety of kinds)
1 small red apple
1 unbaked pie crust
Sugar and sea salt for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a frying pan.  Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and flour and bring to a boil.  Add the apples and cook until the caramel thickens.  Pour into a prepared crust.  Top with pie dough cut into leaf shapes and small apple roses (see below).  Finish with a sprinkle of sugar and coarse sea salt.  Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.  Cover with foil and continue to bake another 15 minutes.

Apple roses:  Slice apple thinly and put in a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes to soften.  Make a row of 4-6 slices overlapped.  Carefully roll into a rose and place on the top of the pie filling along with pie dough cut into leaf shapes.