Charisse Golden’s cast iron skillet creation earns Prairie Village pie glory

  Jay Senter  - Awards and honors
Charisse Golden apple pie
Charisse Golden’s best-in-show winning pie. Photo credit VillageFest.

A record 40 bakers dished up entries for this year’s VillageFest pie contest — but there can be only one who reaches the pinnacle of local pie-baking glory.

And this year, that baker is Charisse Golden of Prairie Village.

Golden’s unorthodox approach to baking an apple pie — putting it in a cast iron skillet instead of a pie tin — caught the judges’ eyes and taste buds, earning her this year’s Best in Show award.

Other entrants to place in this year’s judging were:

Fruit Pie

  • 1st: Shelby Ross of Prairie Village
  • 2nd: Joe Christofani of Prairie Village
  • 3rd: Anna Lacy of Kansas City, Mo.

Other than Fruit Pie

  • 1st: Abby Schaer of Kansas City, Mo.
  • 2nd: Kate Robertson of Prairie Village
  • 3rd: Holly Pollard of Kansas City, Mo.

Youth Baker

  • 1st: Zachary and Tyler Russell of Prairie Village
  • 2nd: Marigold Finkelston of Prairie Village
  • 3rd: Bethany Poplau of Leawood