CLARION COUNTY, Pennsylvania. — What’s the secret to an award-winning apple pie? A dash of creativity, a pinch of courage and a lifelong love of baking – and Kim Watson has all three.

Watson, 68, of Knox, won an impressive 21 first-place finishes in the baked goods and canned goods competition at the Clarion County Fair, held July 21-27.

These include two Grand Champion ribbons in the Apple Pie Contest and the Sponge Cake Contest, qualifying them to compete in those classes at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January.

“I was so excited after I got the big ribbons,” Watson said. “I didn’t even go down (to Mass) all week. I didn’t think I had really done anything good.”

This year was only Watson’s second time attending the fair.

“I’ve been a baker and canner all my life,” added Watson, who sold cakes, homemade pasta and other baked goods at the Knox Farmers Market from 2007 to 2010.

“I’ve always thought about attending the fair. For some reason, I only got up the courage last year.”

Last year she took home 14 blue ribbons, but her apple pie came in second place. So this year she made a few changes to make sure her apple pie was the star of the show.

“I saved apples from the winter and stored them in the refrigerator until July – Jonagold apples, which I love,” she said.

As a finishing touch, she decorated the crust with leaves cut from the pie dough and sprinkled it with a pinch of sugar.

The secret ingredient, however, lies in the crust.

“I used butter-flavored Crisco,” she said. “That must have been it.”

Watson said winning the Angel Food Cake competition was particularly surprising.

“I’ve never made one before. I put coconut flavoring in it, cooked a glaze and covered it in coconut. I couldn’t believe it won first place.”

For the angel food cake, she used whites from fresh eggs that she bought from her Amish neighbors and baked a pound cake from the egg yolks, which she also took to the fair.

“I baked a sponge cake with 12 egg yolks and it won first place. It was lemon flavored, so I guess it went pretty well,” she said, laughing.

In total, Watson said, she submitted 15 different baked goods and 22 homemade preserves to the fair.

The baked goods she submitted included gobs, molasses cookies, sugar cookies, biscuits, blueberry muffins, peanut brittle, homemade noodles, peanut butter fudge, chocolate fudge, coconut cream pie and blackberry pie.

The preserves she submitted included peaches, hot mustard, applesauce, pumpkin butter, caramelized onions, spiced peach skin jelly, zucchini pineapple, blackberry jam, and green beans.

She said almost all of her canned goods took first place.

“I was excited to win because I kind of plan for that,” Watson said. “I try to can things all year long.”

She also said that she spent almost a whole week baking and preparing things for the fair.

As for the Pennsylvania Farm Show, Watson says she hasn’t decided whether she will participate.

“I guess I could say I’m looking forward to the agricultural show, but January is still a while away,” she added. “I’d love to go.”

The PA Farm Show is scheduled for January 4-11, 2025 in Harrisburg.