On Sunday, Nov. 9, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) hosted its annual “Say it Ain’t Say’s” Sweet Potato Pie Contest. For the last 12 years, the museum has celebrated the fall 
dessert with a contest to determine who makes the best sweet potato pie.
“The "Say It Ain't Say's" Sweet Potato Pie Contest is more than a friendly bake off; it's a celebration of community and the legacy of Little Rock's sweet potato pie king, Robert "Say" McIntosh,” said Quantia Fletcher, director of MTCC. “It is also about the holidays, the act of giving and the traditions that our families share.”
This year, there were eight entries in the contest. The pies were a mixture of traditional and modern recipes, several of which boasted “secret ingredients” like coconut, candied nuts and unconventional spices and flavorings.
Four judges decided first, second and third place winners. The judges included Say McIntosh’s widow, Derotha McIntosh; Greg Henderson; radio host Broadway Joe Booker; and Marty Ryall, the director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The People’s Choice winners were chosen by attendees.
Winners included:
3rd place – Candice Bailey
2nd place – Vernice Meadows
1st place – Carla Nichols
People's Choice – Loretta Ellington
Each winner received a trophy. First place winner, Carla Nichols, will also return to share her pie with attendees of MTCC’s annual Holiday Open House on Dec. 7, too.
The first known sweet potato pie recipe appeared in the 1881 cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Born enslaved in 1832 on a plantation in South Carolina, Abby Fisher became a renowned chef, pickle maker and entrepreneur in San 
Francisco, where she moved after gaining her freedom and marrying in the 1850s. Fisher was constantly asked for her recipes. She could not read or write, so she dictated her recipes and stories to her friends. Her cookbook was the second ever published by a Black author. Fisher’s straightforward recipe called for two pounds of sweet potatoes, boiled until soft. She instructed her readers to “peel and mash them, then add a tablespoon of butter, five beaten eggs, a half-cup milk, sugar to taste, the juice of an orange plus half of its zest and a little salt. Then pour it into a single pie crust and bake quickly.”
MTCC will host its annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1-5 p.m. Don’t miss out on their hot chocolate and make sure to get a photo with Santa!
To learn more about Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the museum’s mission, exhibits and events, log on to https://www.arkansasheritage.com/mosaic-templars-cultural-center.