My Mom-maw Frances, loved to do things for her family. Giving small presents, crocheting doilies and blankets, but she really loved to bake goodies for them, especially at Christmas.  Festive cookies, rich cakes, and yummy candies, but her made-from-scratch pies were always my favorite. She enjoyed baking and took great pleasure in seeing your smiling face after that first delicious bite.

When she passed suddenly in 1996, my Pop-paw Bruce passed onto me her collection of recipes. She had collected her favorite recipes over the years and she had spent a lot of time carefully transcribing them neatly onto index cards, so they could be shared and passed along.

Mark and I moved to Greenbrier County, home of the State Fair of WV, about 15 years ago.

Our first summer living here, he encouraged me to enter my apple pie into the baking competition – to my surprise I was awarded a ribbon.

The following summer when the State Fair rolled around again, Mark encouraged me to enter again. (I think he was just craving something sweet.) I explained that I needed a new recipe and the deadline for entering was the next day and I couldn’t possibly find the time to select and test a new recipe in time –then I remembered my Mom-maw Frances’ recipes.

I spent the new few hours sifting through the recipe cards, but I just couldn’t settle on one.

Peering over my shoulder, Mark pointed to the Butterscotch Pie recipe. “I LOVE butterscotch! You should make this.” “Mark, I’ve never made that one and I don’t have time to practice it. There is no way I can get that right on the first try.”

Well, Frances must’ve been smiling down on me and guiding my hands throughout the process, because in the end, the pie looked perfect. Much to Mark’s dismay, we couldn’t check the taste as we had to deliver a completely intact pie for judging the next day.

While, I can’t recall if it was a blue ribbon or not, we were awarded another State Fair of WV ribbon.  Mom-maw Frances’ Butterscotch Pie remains a favorite in our house, especially this time of year. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

– Cindy Lavender Bowe