Trenton Downtown Association

'Santa's' pie a winner

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
BY SUSAN SPRAGUE YESKE
FOOD EDITOR

Not only can Santa Claus deliver toys to millions of children in a single night, but apparently he can bake prize- winning holiday pies as well.

At least, one of his many helpers can.

Brian O. Hill of Trenton, direc tor of The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, also is known to thou sands of children as Santa Claus. About this time of year he dons his trademark red suit (no fake beard necessary) and begins making ap pearances as the jolly old elf.

But year 'round he has another talent, which won him first place in this year's Holiday Pie Contest sponsored by the Trenton Downtown Association.

Hill won the hearts of the public who bought slices to sample during the recent Warren Street contest, as well as the nod from the judges for his lush, creamy cheese pie.

"This recipe was handed down to me from my mother," said Hill, "who got it from a friend."

He makes the cheese pie through many seasons -- underscoring that it's not a cheesecake because it has a crust -- and holidays. This time of year he makes his crust from crushed gingersnaps.

"I make between six and 12 a year," he said.

He often receives requests to share the recipe, and always says yes, with one requirement: "When you make it, think of my mom, Jane Hill."

"My mother taught me how to cook and the joy of it," he said.

She was trained as a home economist, and was well known for her cooking prowess, he said.

Winning second place -- a single point behind Hill -- was Sharon Mendell of Delran, who works for the state and received many admiring remarks for her signature pecan pie with holiday decorations.

"This pie is a favorite of my family," said Mendell, whose favorite baking projects are cakes.

But generally, she said, "I love to bake."

Third place went to a cherry crumb pie baked by Aliceann Kroe sen of Lambertville.

Previous TDA contests have fo cused on a single flavor of pie, fea turing one contest for apple and another for pumpkin. This time contestants could bring their family favorite, regardless of the flavor, the only criteria being that it have a crust and that it is a dessert they bake for the holidays.

In addition to the winners, the flavors included lemon meringue, peach, apple, berry and apple-pear. Contestants were judged on quality of the crust, overall taste and ap pearance, and each pie was admired and appreciated.

"Anyone who makes a pie I have a lot of respect for," said Ron Good, marketing director for the state Department of Agriculture and an experienced judge.

"Any one of these pies would be welcome at a family gathering, and every last bit would be eaten," he said.

After the pies were sampled and the tally was complete, slices of the competitors' pies were sold for $3, and passersby happily snapped them up to eat standing on Warren Street or take back to their offices. Sales of the slices netted $165 that was donated to the Hanover Street YMCA, which suffered significant losses as the result of a recent vandalism.

Brian Hill shared his winning recipe, which he calls Brooklyn Cheese Pie.


Brooklyn Cheese Pie


Filling: 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pint sour cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Crust:

1 box of ginger snaps, crushed

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine three packages of cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and lemon juice, then sour cream.

Beat whipping cream separately, then carefully fold into cream cheese mixture.

To make crust, combine ginger snaps (or other cookies) and sugar in food processor, crushing cookies to crumbs. Add melted butter and combine, then pour into a springform pan, using your hands to form the crust on the bottom and up the sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, then allow crust to cool completely be fore filling.

Pour cream cheese filling into crust and bake for one hour. Turn off oven and allow to sit for another hour, then open door and allow to sit for another half hour. When completely cooled, remove outside of springform pan.

Mendell's pecan pie recipe came from "The Silver Palate Cookbook."


Pecan Pie


4 eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter ( 1/2 stick), melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups shelled pecans, chopped

9-inch unbaked piecrust

1/2 cup shelled pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the un baked pie crust.

2. Beat eggs well in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, melted butter and vanilla to the eggs and mix thoroughly.

3. Sprinkle chopped pecans in the pastry lined pan. Pour egg mixture over pecans. Arrange pecan halves around the edge of the filling next to the crust for decoration.

4. Set on middle rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until set.

5. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Makes 8 portions.



Contact Susan Sprague Yeske at syeske@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5661.