Home of Economy-Herald Pie Bake-off: From Montana to Grand Forks, Cassie Campbell is still baking – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Cassie Campbell comes from a cake tradition.

Growing up in Butte, Montana, a former mining town, she learned about making pies—hand pies meant to provide miners with robust meals they could easily eat while they worked.

“As far as I can remember, we ate pies for dinner, and growing up, people made pies at fundraisers,” said Campbell, who is now from Grand Forks. “Now that I don’t live in Butte anymore, I make them for my family.”

Campbell hopes the pie crusts she’s learned while making pies will give her an edge at this year’s Home of Economy-Grand Forks Herald Pie Bake-off, which aims to showcase the region’s top bakers by pie square footage. Beginning August 28, bakers will compete in a tournament-like competition, competing for a first prize worth at least $1,000.

Campbell is sponsored by the East Grand Forks-Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce.

Although Campbell still upholds the pastie tradition, their modern relationship with baking is all about creativity and innovation.

“I want whatever I make from it to be innovative in some way,” Campbell said. “Maybe it’s just a slight twist on an original, or it might be a cake base that’s completely different than what’s traditionally used for a particular cake. I just want it to be something unique.”

Campbell made her way to North Dakota to attend school, where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Jamestown and then her master’s degree in counseling from UND.

After college, she transitioned into addiction counseling.

“There is a great need for it. There’s so much stigma surrounding this disease,” Campbell said. “I felt like I could really make a difference there.”

However, after giving birth to her third son, Coulson, in 2019, she decided to quit addiction counseling. Now she is a homemaker and mother of four boys: Ephram, 8; Killian, 6; Coulson, 3; and Apollo, 2. They have a harder time finding time to bake with a full house, and even harder because each of their sons has different favorite treats.

“I once made a blueberry pie that everyone ate,” Campbell said. “So I call that a win.”

In addition to her traditional “mum” duties, Campbell homeschools her sons while also baking and running her shop, Little Birds Breadery.

Her decision to start selling her bread was an accident. As she recounts, she decided to try a recipe for apple cider cheddar bread, which became one of her favorite breads. She thought the recipe would go well with the pasta dinner they would share with their neighbors. Even before the pasta was done, the whole loaf was gone.

Afterwards, her neighbor even wished for bread for her birthday.

“Apparently it didn’t make it into the kitchen before they ripped it apart,” Campbell said.

It was this positive reaction that made her decide to finally open a bakery.

“My mother-in-law and sister-in-law kept telling me I needed a food truck or else I should sell it,” she said. “After the response from my neighbors, I thought, ‘I should probably sell this.’ I feel like we don’t have a lot of bread options in town and I might as well be doing something I really enjoy and maybe spreading some of that joy.”

What fascinates her about cakes and breads is the simplicity.

“I find it really satisfying on a personal level to be able to start with really humble ingredients,” Campbell said. “A pie crust is butter, flour and salt, you can start with something that looks like nothing and end up with something delicious.”

With the contest soon to begin, Campbell practices, making sure to carefully note the changes she makes to each recipe as she works to create the perfect cake to enter the contest.

“I’m not particularly nervous about it,” Campbell said. “It’s all about making sure you’re picking the right cake.”

Should Campbell win, she says she would not only be happy for the honor but also put part of the money into the bakery and another part to help her youngest son Apollo, who suffers from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). to send a special camp for children struggling with similar problems.

The winner can choose between a $1,400 Home of Economy cake safe or a $500 Home of Economy gift card. In addition, the Herald will present the winner with a check for US$500 made out in the name of the winner’s corporate sponsor.

Maeve Hushman is from San Diego, California and is a graduate student at the University of North Dakota. She is majoring in communications with a minor in sports business.