Penny Keaton, of Penny’s Pie Classes recently received a Bronze Medal for “outstanding Achievment” in the 27th Annual Telly Awards for her pie baking video “Simple, Fun & Foolproof Pie-Making for Everyone!”

The annual Telly Awards honor creative excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials and programs. More infformation about Keaton’s classes on DVD can be found at www.PennysPies.com.

The crowd consisted of everything from doctors, lawyers, nurses, professional chefs and professional moms, to construction and rocket scientist assistants and the Outlook’s own food editor. They all showed up for the same thing — pie!

All of these people gathered at Paolo’s La Cucina for Penny Keaton to conduct her pie baking class and demonstration.

Attendees learned how to make pies like the award winning ones that Keaton makes. Since this class was to be her last for this year, a capacity crowd was there to learn all they could before tackling holiday baking.

Keaton began the class by making her fast and simple pie dough recipe, then promptly turned it over to Chef Eviolet Guerrero, who created her on-the-spot special spice and vegetable magic to add to Keaton’s Quiche Lorraine recipe.

As it turns out, the pie dough recipe is perfect for savory dished as well as for pie, which was proven when the two large quiches virtually disappeared at the “pie tasting” held later that morning.

Keaton then went on to show how she creates her blue ribbon winning apple pie, and a cherry pie with a lattice top.

Many in the class were amazed at how simple the recipe for pie dough is to make, unlike many of the butter or shortening based crusts. Several of the attendees mentioned how they were no longer intimidated of afraid to pie dough anymore.
After the morning demonstration, there was a break for the pie tasting.

When the pie dishes were empty, it was time for Keaton to continue her class for those who had signed up for the “workshop.” There, the students practiced the pie dough and made their own pumpkin pies. They are now all proficient in making their own quick, easy and flaky pie crust.

Though Keaton won’t be conducting any more classes at Paolo’s before year’s end, you can still learn to create those wonderful pies. She is available for private lessons, and her entire pie class has been filmed and is available on DVD.

The DVD can also serve as a gift to a friend of loved-one who enjoys the art of baking. VHS tapes are also available. The video shows how to make Keaton’s award-winning pie crust and pies, in detail, and includes a dozen recipes --all of her 2003 ribbon winners (seven of them, including three first-place blue ribbons).

Penny’s Pie Classes can be reached at (818) 209-2191 or emailed to penny@pennyspies.com.

After the demonstration, there was a ‘hands-on’ workshop where each person in the class got to make the pie dough recipe. Amongst the frenzy of flour and rolling pins could be heard exclamations such as “Look! I did it - I made a pie crust!” She will conduct one more class on Aug. 21 from 2 to 5 pm. at Paolo’s La Cucina. Penny will soon be busy setting up for the 2004 L.A. County Fair, where she will be releasing her “How to Bake a Great Pie from Scratch” DVD, and giving demonstrations in the Fair’s Tapestry of Tradition kitchen. For class information, Call Penny’s Pies at (818) 209-2191 or email her at penny@pennyspies.com.

The idea to expand the class size came from the demand for lessons after Keaton displayed the award-winning pies at the Montrose Farmers’ Market. Initially, she was teaching her pie baking classes in the clients’ homes, but this was limiting the size of the class.

Saturday’s class was to a capacity crowd of 23 students, plus Paolo and several helpers. When Keaton demonstrated her more than 50-year-old recipe to the attendees, all, including the professional Chef Paolo, were amazed. After the demonstration, there was a “hands-on” workshop where each person in the class got to make the pie dough recipe.

King Arthur Flour, the 200 year-old flour company and winner of this year’s prominent James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award, sponsored Penny’s Pie Baking Class by supplying the class with her essential award-winning pie dough ingredient, flour.

Each student took home a baked pie crust, which they could use, along with their imagination, to create a tasty dessert for their family and friends.

The students were rewarded for their work by getting to try a slice of Keaton’s cherry, blueberry, peach and pumpkin pie, made from her family recipe, Several of these were from the same recipes that won ribbons at last year’s L.A. County Fair.

Only two more classes will be available this month, Aug. 14 and 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Paolo’s La Cucina. After that, Keaton will be busy setting up for the 2004 L.A. County Fair, where she will release her “How to Bake a Great Pie from Scratch” DVD, and giving demonstrations in the fair’s Tapestry of Tradition kitchen.

For information about the classes, call Penny’s Pies at (818) 209-2191 or email her at penny@pennyspies.com.