Pi Day - March 14

A recent post on Trader Joe's website shared ideas for celebrating "Pi Day".  Pi Day-who knew?  Alas I did not pick up any of their pre-made pie crusts on my most recent trip to Milwaukee.  Yes, we actually have to drive nearly 2 hours to the closest Trader Joe's in either Milwaukee or Madison.  At least, we can make occasional visits when we are chasing cheaper airfares by flying out of Milwaukee. As a bonus we can stop at Costco on the way home too.  (Tho' with a Coscto opening in Green Bay, less than an hour away, we do have additional opportunites to shop at our favorite warehouse store.)

Evidently, Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern.

Not sure if Trader Joe's also recommends celebrating, "National Pie Day",on January 23rd, promoted by the American Pie Council.

Apple-Caramel Hand Pies

This classic combination showcases delicate Gala Apple sweetness
with the satiny depths of Fleur De Sel Caramel Sauce,
a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt.

2    rolls  Pie Crust, defrosted in fridge overnight
4    small Gala Apples
1             Meyer Lemon, juice only
1/2 t.       Ground Cinnamon
1    t.       Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus more for rolling dough
     pinch  Sea Salt
3   T.       Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce (or more, to taste)
1   large   Egg, beaten with 1 tsp Water
1/4 c.       Turbinado Sugar (optional for sanding tops)

*You will also need a wide-mouthed jar or circular cookie cutter (3.5 in diameter = about 7 hand pies)

Remove both pie crust rolls from refrigerator and let soften on counter (about 15 minutes). Peel, core & dice gala apples. Place into a medium bowl, cover with lemon juice and set aside. Once dough is softened, working in two batches, unroll and smooth together any cracks with your hands over the top of the plastic film of the dough. Remove plastic film and place dough onto a floured surface. Cut out 7 circles from one roll and 7 circles from the other (it could be more or less depending on the size of your cookie cutter, just make sure you end up with an even number). Place all dough circles onto two baking trays lined with parchment paper and place back in refrigerator to chill. Add cinnamon, flour, sea salt and caramel sauce to bowl of diced apples. Stir and set aside. Prepare egg wash by whisking egg with water in a small bowl. Set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator and place a spoonful of the apple-caramel mix onto 7 of the dough circles, making sure not to overfill or touch the edges of the dough. Brush egg wash around the perimeter of each filled dough circle. Place the remaining 7 dough circles on top of the mounds, then crimp the edges of the dough with a fork to seal each pie. Place prepared pies back in refrigerator to chill another 10 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once oven is heated, remove tray of pies from refrigerator and brush tops generously with egg wash. With a sharp knife, cut a slit or a small design on the top of each pie to help steam release while baking. Optional: for added texture, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of each pie. Bake pies in center rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the juices start bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. For even baking, rotate sheet halfway though. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm.

Blueberry-Lemon Hand Pies 

This permutation features Wild Boreal Blueberries (from Quebec), Lemon Curd (from England)
 and vibrant lemon zest (from a Lemon). 

2   rolls      Pie Crust, defrosted in fridge overnight
1 1/2 c.      Frozen Wild Blueberries
2               Lemons, zested
4      T.      Lemon Curd
1       t.      Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus more for rolling dough
1       large Egg, beaten with 1 tsp Water
1/4    c.      Turbinado Sugar (optional for sanding tops)

*You will also need a wide-mouthed jar or circular cookie cutter (3.5 in diameter = about 7 hand pies)

Remove both pie crust rolls from refrigerator and let soften on counter (about 15 minutes). Pour bag of frozen blueberries in a strainer and rinse with water to defrost. Set aside. Once dough is softened, working in two batches, unroll and smooth together any cracks with your hands over the top of the plastic film of the dough. Remove plastic film and place dough onto a floured surface. Cut out 7 circles from one roll and 7 circles from the other (it could be more or less depending on the size of your cookie cutter, just make sure you end up with an even number). Place all dough circles onto two baking trays lined with parchment paper and place back in refrigerator to chill. In a medium bowl, combine strained blueberries, lemon zest, lemon curd and flour. Stir and set aside. Prepare egg wash by whisking egg with water in a small bowl. Set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator and place a spoonful of the lemon-blueberry mix onto 7 of the dough circles, making sure not to overfill or touch the edges of the dough. Brush egg wash around the perimeter of each filled dough circle. Place the remaining 7 dough circles on top of the mounds, then crimp the edges of the dough with a fork to seal each pie. Place prepared pies back in refrigerator to chill another 10 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once oven is heated, remove tray of pies from refrigerator and brush tops generously with egg wash. With a sharp knife, cut a slit or a small design on the top of each pie to help steam release while baking. Optional: for added texture, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of each pie. Bake pies in center rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the blueberry juices start bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. For even baking, rotate sheet halfway though. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm.

If you hold a mirror up to the most significant digits of π (3.14), it actually spells PIE!
To determine the size of a pie multiply π by the radius (Distance from the center to the edge of a circle) squared …

Area=πr2  (3.14 x radius squared)

 Circumference=2πr=πd,