The Missouri State Fair is next month, and that means bakers have a chance to shine.

Are you a member of a Pink or Red Hat Club? You’re eligible to enter the Red or Pink Hat Fruit Cobbler Contest. There’s a catch: Your cobbler must be made in the shape of a hat. The first-place winner will be rewarded with $400, and even the fourth-place finisher will get $100.

If you’re more of a pie baker — or if you don’t like hats — think about entering the First Lady’s Pie Contest, promoted by Melanie Blunt. The contest is open to amateur bakers of all ages. First prize is $100.

If learning about these contests has whetted your appetite for competition, you’ll find many more listed at the fair’s website. (For a complete list, including deadlines and rules, click here. And don’t delay — all contests must be pre-entered by Sunday, July 20. Cost is $5 per entry, with significant discounts for entering more than five items.

You’ll find contests requiring a range of ingredients, including chicken; turkey; wild game, fish and wild edibles such as nuts and berries; farmed rabbit; pork; pound cake; and black walnuts.

The State Fair is August 7 to 17 in Sedalia.

And for inspiration, here’s one of my favorite pie recipes ever:

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM PIE
Yield: 8 servings.

Pastry for 1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups (about 1 pint) cleaned, stemmed blueberries

For topping:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, well chilled and cut into small chunks
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place rack in center of oven. Ease dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold over excess dough. If using a tart pan, press firmly to reinforce sides. If using a pie plate, crimp folded dough to make border.

Line shell with foil, then with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until shell is lightly browned. Remove from oven; leave oven on. Remove foil and beans or weights from shell.

To prepare filling: Combine sour cream, sugar, flour, almond extract, salt and egg in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until batter is smooth. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into pastry shell; smooth top with a spatula. Shield edges of pie crust with foil so that crust does not overbrown. Bake until filling is just set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; leave oven on.

To prepare topping: Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in a medium bowl until small clumps form. Mix in pecans and sugar. Sprinkle topping over pie. If necessary, remove foil to let crust brown. Bake until topping browns lightly, about 12 minutes.

Let pie cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, loosely covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Adapted from “American Favorites,” by Betty Rosbottom (Chapters, $29.95).