Try your hand at making Helen Ploor's Belgian pie, which earned top honors. Make it your own with your favorite filling from cherry to prunes to rice.
June 01, 2013

Ingredients

Dough:
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 packages of dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup of water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 3/4-2 cups flour
Cheese topping
  • 2 packages cream cheese (softened)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
Prune topping
  • prunes
  • sugar to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Rice topping
  • 1/3 cup long grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

DOUGH
Scald 1 cup milk and let cool; soak 1½ packages of dry yeast in a 1/3 cup of water plus 1½ tbsp. sugar.

Make a soft sponge by mixing 1½ cups of flour with the yeast and milk. Let stand until it bubbles. Then add: ½ cup cup sugar, ½ cup oil, ¾ tsp. salt and 3 egg yolks. Stir in 1¾-2 cups flour. When stiff enough, turn out on flowered surface and knead for 3 minutes. Put back in greased bowl and let rise for about 1 hour. Makes 6-7 pies.

Divide dough between pans (greased) and form dough to hold fillings. Fill with your favorite filling: cherry, apple, prune, poppy seed, rice or raisin. Put cream cheese topping on centers of pies and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

CHEESE TOPPING
2 packages cream cheese (softened); 3 egg yolks; ¾ cup sugar. Beat together ingredients until creamy.

PRUNE TOPPING: Boil prunes until soft. Drain and mash while still warm. Sweeten with sugar to taste and add ½ tsp cinnamon.

CHERRIES TOPPING: Use canned pie filling or thickened canned cherries with sugar to taste and corn starch.

RICE TOPPING
1/3 cup long grain rice; 1½ cup milk; ½ cup sugar; 2 eggs; ½ tsp. vanilla. Cook rice with a small amount of water until soft. Add rest of ingredients and simmer slowly until thick enough to spread. Enough for 3 pies.

Ingredients

Dough:
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 packages of dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup of water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 3/4-2 cups flour
Cheese topping
  • 2 packages cream cheese (softened)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
Prune topping
  • prunes
  • sugar to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Rice topping
  • 1/3 cup long grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla