Texas city bakes 'world's largest moon pie' to celebrate upcoming solar eclipse
One Texas city is going big (and sweet) for the upcoming solar eclipse, baking the “world’s largest moon pie” to celebrate the momentous occasion.
The public will get a chance to try a slice at Total Eclipse in the Park, a viewing event put on by Irving, a city over 200 miles north of Austin. The event is set to eclipse “all the rest, giving visitors and residents alike the opportunity to “not only experience four solid minutes of totality, but also get a slice of the World’s Largest Moon Pie,” according to a Visit Irving news release.
Tom Meehan, a general manager of the Irving Convention Center at Los Colinas, said in a statement that the city “wanted to do something out-of-the ordinary for a once-in-a-lifetime event.”
“When I brought the idea to our chef, he shook his head and said ‘Never in my career did I think I’d do something like this,’” Meehan said.
Here’s what we know about the “largest” moon pie, including the ingredients used and how much it weighs.
When is Total Eclipse in the Park?
The “cosmic celebration” will be held at Heritage Park and Levy Event Plaza from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
Live music, eclipse glasses, space-themed food and refreshments, gondola cruises and pedal boating will be available for all attendees. And a free slice of the “World’s Largest Moon Pie” if you are interested.
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Why make the ‘world’s largest’ moon pie?
Well, for one, it's on theme.
Diana Pfaff, Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau Marketing & Communications vice president, told USA TODAY Friday that most, if not all, ideas brainstormed involved moon pie.
They also thought this once-in-a-lifetime event was a good opportunity to showcase Eduardo Alvarez, the ICC executive chef's work.
Pfaff said the marketing team eventually decided to recreate a moon pie recipe from Chattanooga Bakery, a Tennessee bakery that mass-produces the beloved Southern snack.
“They [Chattanooga Bakery] actually has a recipe for the world’s largest moon pie if you want to recreate it. So, we decided to make it just a little bigger than what it is.”
Pfaff says Chef Alvarez used his own recipe, completing five test runs to get the pie looking and tasting exactly right.
“The first couple of batches weren’t great, but he perfected it. And it's actually pretty good,” Pfaff said.
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How big is Irving’s version of the ‘world’s largest’ moon pie?
The “world’s largest moon pie,” which will be made over the weekend, is set to “weigh between 150-180 pounds, measure five feet in diameter by four inches thick, and contain 1,400 servings,” according to the Visit Irving news release.
It will also take quite a few ingredients to make the gigantic dessert. Here’s a look at how many marshmallows, eggs, butter, flour, and chocolate it will take to make the 365,042-calorie dessert.
- 64 pounds of marshmallows
- 128 eggs
- 36 pounds of unsalted butter
- 16 pounds of brown sugar
- 60 pounds of all-purpose flour
- 45 pounds of marshmallow cream
- 60 pounds of melted chocolate
- 42 pounds of graham cracker crumbs
“It’s pretty basic, but it’s very difficult to make,” Meehan told The Dallas Express.