The weather is miserable for North East, PA's 2011 Wine Festival. Pouring rain all day today. Ugh. Nevertheless the ambitious folks at The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross gathered to make 200 grape pies. Unfortunately I didn't think to take photos during the very hectic first day so some of the folks who helped aren't shown. These are from the second baking day and the first of the festival. Also should have gone to the booth in Gibson Park to take a photo of the brave souls who endured many hours of wet and cold with few rewards.
This is where the recipe, sans crust, resides - on the lid of a jar. Gold Medal flour and Butter flavored Crisco were used for the crusts. The filling was obtained from a New York State winery.
On Tuesday we filled the fridge with the bags of crust mix.
On Wednesday, the first batch of filling was prepared so we were ready to go.
On Thursday, there were four people rolling out crusts. Fewer today.
There were others to fit and trim the top crusts, flute the edges (at which we learned I'm a failure) and cut a design in the top. Baking took an hour or so. They baked 100 on Thursday while I folded and labeled boxes. Today they did 50 pies including a dozen sugar free.
The vicar is responsible for this pile of scraps which she judiciously preserved for who knows what. Holy Cross doesn't waste. She took them home and came back with pecan tarts and iced cinnamon pinwheel things. The latter never made it to the sale. Yum.
In the background the boxes I folded await pies like those in the front.
Each box has a special message.
Meanwhile the vicar takes time out to make a folder to include with the pies. One thing to sell pies. Another to invite people to worship with those who make them. This blogger enthusiastically recommends this parish!
Back tomorrow. Prayers for better weather! And happy Holy Cross doesn't have an entry in the bed race tho they tried to get it together and it might have been fun.
Update: The weather brightened on Saturday. More pies were made and many sold. On Sunday the gals used the last of the ingredients to make even more pies before the liturgy. I understand everything was sold. Way to go, Holy Cross!
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