Pi Day 2015

Today is the most epic Pi Day of the century!

3.1415926 = 3/14/15 9:26am

And yes, I am celebrating.  I love food and I love math, so this is awesome. And yes, I scheduled this post for 9:26 am, because I am a nerd.

When contemplating what type of pie to make for Pi Day, I decided I would simply use whatever I already had on hand.  No special trips, no special recipes.

(Just because it's not special, doesn't mean it isn't delicious.)

I had some pears and apples in the fridge that I was planning on pureeing for Munchkin. Since I had more pears than apples, I decided I could spare a few for a pie with plenty left for her. So I landed on Pear Pie (similar to apple, but different).

For me, Pie is all about the crust. But you really should make the filling first so it can sit for a bit and all the flavors can merry. I mixed:

• 3 pears, sliced thin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbs flour

(No nutmeg. I don't like it, if you do - go for it.)

Now back to the important part.  The crust.  If the crust is bad, it's over. The crust needs to be flaky.  The secret to flaky crust is cold butter (or lard) (or crisco). I used butter, my grandmother swears by crisco.  Either is good, I promise.

I repeat:

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Emphasis on cold.

To make sure the butter is cold, don't remove from the fridge until you are about to use it and limit how much you touch the dough (body heat is bad in this case).  Therefore, to mix the flour with the butter use one of these handy tools.  The plastic one is what we used in culinary school and the metal one is a necessity according to my grandmother.  I personally think either will do, but often choose the metal for pies. It seems to be a bit more efficient.  And the faster the better, you don't want the butter to warm up. Because....

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Now that you've got your tool.  Here's the ratio:

1 cup flour : 1/3 cup of fat (butter, crisco, lard) : 1 pie crust

So for my pie I doubled it.

Cut the butter into small cubes then using your handy tool cut into the flour until it is the texture of sand. (The french call this "sabler") (Yes, we had to know that for culinary school).  Our beach can be a bit rocky - aka the butter doesn't have to be totally broken down.  Add a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp) and some sugar (2 Tbs).

Now you will add a bit of ice cold water to bring it all together.  Yes, it needs to be ice cold because...

The secret to flaky crust is cold butter.

Seriously, put a cube of ice in some water.  Start with 4 tablespoons and see where you are at.  Depending on the humidity in your house, it is always a bit different.  Since we have a wood stove, my flour is often really dry.  I ended up with six tablespoons. You are looking for the dough to start to stick together.  Knead for a minute max, just enough to form two balls.

Recap crust ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup cold butter
• 4-6 Tbs ice cold water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs sugar

Roll into a circle. Gently. Slowly.  Take your time. Remember this is a flaky crust. It's not pretty, but it's delicious.

Assemble your pie.  Since it's Pi Day and my ingredients were simple, I decided to make the crust a bit fancier.  I cut out little flowers and arranged them on top.  I also folded the edges from the bottom crust to make a nice little package.  Either way be sure you egg wash the top of your dough.  If you are sticking dough together (aka making decorations), do both sides - it acts like glue. You could also use milk like my grandmother does. If you just do a solid dough top be sure to poke some holes for steam escape.  Finish with a sprinkle of sugar, if you want.

Bake at 375 until golden brown.  Mine took about 55 minutes.  Yes, you must be patient.

It is best to allow your pie to rest.  I know it's tough.  You will be rewarded.

This crust is also great for savory pie, simply omit the sugar.  Feel free to add herbs for say a chicken pot pie. Ooo, maybe that's what we'll have before eating this pear pie...

What is your favorite type of pie?

 Happy Pi Day!