For the last 17 years, the fruit pie contest has been a beloved element of the Chilliwack Fair. Started by Iris Friesen in 2007 as an apple pie contest, the competition has seen dozens of Chilliwack bakers unearth their best pie recipes in an effort to win a coveted medal.

In advance of the 2024 Chilliwack Fair, we met up with Debora Soutar—five-time winner and current organizer of the fruit pie contest—to learn about how she makes her perfect apple pies.

(You can read more about Soutar, the fruit pie contest, and the Chilliwack Fair here.)

Her foolproof apple pie filling and pastry recipes comes from two sources: the New Cookbook and a family index card.

Perfect Apple Pie | Debora Soutar’s Pastry | Tips and Tricks

Perfect Apple Pie - via the New Cookbook

The New Cookbook is one of the most popular home cookbooks, and has been used by generations of home cooks. The New Cookbook was first published by Better Homes & Gardens in 1930, and hasn’t been out of print since. There have been 17 editions of the cookbook, and many recipes change between editions. Soutar says she has never seen a copy come through Chilliwack’s Rotary book drop, as most cooks rarely give up their editions.

The following is a blend of the New Cookbook recipe and the instructions from Soutar to the Fraser Valley Current.

• 6 to 8 tart apples, pared, cored, and thinly sliced (6 cups)*

• 1 scant cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Dash ground nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons butter (optional)

• Pastry for two-crust nine-inch pie

*Soutar suggests using transparents, a soft-fleshed apple that is extremely tart. Granny Smith apples would also work, although they make for a much firmer pie.

Put the peeled and cut apples in a bowl. Add sugar, flour, spices, and a dash of salt. Mix. Line a 9-inch pie plat with pastry, trimming the edge. Fill with apple mixture. Dot the top with butter if desired. Place the second layer of pastry on top of of the pie. Trim the pastry, leaving a half-inch of extra dough along the edge. Fold the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust; crimp to create a seal. Vent the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400F for 50 minutes.

Debora Soutar’s Pastry

To make a pie, you need a pie crust. This recipe comes from Soutar’s mother-in-law, who passed it on after Soutar spent years struggling with the cold-water method. This dough uses an egg in its ingredients, making it richer and more tender than other pie crusts.

This recipe makes two double-crust pies. It is a combination of Soutar’s family recipe and the instructions she gave to the Fraser Valley Current.

• 4 cups flour

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1¾ cup shortening

• ½ cup cold water

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

• One egg

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in vegetable shortening using a pastry blender until it looks like small peas. In a separate bowl, beat the water, vinegar and egg together. Pour the wet ingredients into the shortening and flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes away from the edge of the bowl. Divide the dough into four firm balls. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill.

Take out the appropriate amount of dough and dust the countertop liberally with flour. Roll out the pie crust, starting from the centre and working outwards. Add flour to the rolling pin when needed. The crust should be roughly an eighth of an inch think, and large enough to cover the pie plate. Pick up the crust by rolling it back onto the rolling pin, and place it inside the plate. Fit the crust to the plate, mending where necessary. Trim off the excess.

Do the same with a second ball of dough, making a larger circle for a top crust. Bake as directed.

Tips and tricks from prize-winning fair exhibitors

Debora Soutar on pies

• You can use any kind of fat for a pie crust, including butter, lard, and vegetable shortening. But butter, although it adds a nice flavour and colour, can burn quickly.

• An easy method of measuring shortening is the displacement method. Add cold water to a measuring cup, using the same amount as you need for shortening. Add the shortening to the cup, submerging it in the water. Stop when the water line had doubled. Drain the water and add the shortening to your dry ingredients.

• A highly-patterned countertop can be helpful when making a pie crust. If you can see the pattern through your dough, you know it is thin enough.

• With Soutar’s crust recipe, you can’t add too much flour when rolling it out. Apply flour liberally to the counter and rolling pin to prevent sticking. (Beware with other crust recipes, as some can become tough when too much flour is used.)

• Sealing a pie is a bit like sewing. Fold one edge over the other and pinch with your fingers to create V-shaped patterns along the fold. Once the pie is sealed, make sure to add vents on the top so the steam has somewhere to go.

• Consider using cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the filling of berry pies. Cornstarch makes a clear thickener, which is good for visually appealing bakes. Flour turns opaque, which is less of an issue with apples.

• Adding decorations with pastry can help win points with fair judges, especially if you follow the theme for that year.

• In most kitchen entries, freshness is key. Bake your fair pie in the morning before the competition, but don’t rush it.

Marion Robinson and Jane Sache on home and garden exhibits

• Pay attention to the details in the prize book. Don’t put the wrong flower in the wrong category, for example.

• Pay attention to your entry dates. Bring your entry in on time, on the right day, otherwise it will not be judged.

• Talk to volunteers in your category. They can help you figure out what constitutes a winning entry.

• It’s okay to lose. Participation is the most important part of exhibiting in a fair.

Do you have tips and tricks for fair exhibitors? Share them in the comments below.