Happy Pi Day!

          Do you realize what tomorrow is?  It’s Pie Day!  I mean Pi Day.  It will be March 14^th, and since 3.14 is Pi, we must , by law, eat pie.  Hey, this could very well be the law—have you read every law book in your city?  There are all kinds of things in there—and better safe than sorry, I say.  Here's a strawberry-rhubarb pie I made:

          I even made little Pie Pops in the Youtube Mom video I posted yesterday.  They have tiny little Pi symbols on them. 

I suggest you make round pies, like this apple one of mine, since Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter:

But why split hairs?  Make them in heart or star shapes, if you wish.

          Pie of any kind is permissible (since I can’t find the law, I am composing my own), but if you want to make killer delicious, EASY Pie Pops, check out my short video here. This is the basic idea:

          Roll out a good, homemade pie crust (scroll down for a great recipe), then cut out circles with a cookie cutter or even a small drinking glass.  You want the circles to measure about 1 & ½ inches across. 

Place a tiny dab of cream cheese (sweetened with a pinch of powdered sugar if you like) on one of the circles.  Top with 2-3 blueberries.  Some delicious alternatives are bits of peach, apple & cinnamon, a smidge of jam, cherries, chocolate chips, or caramel. Or you could use lemon curd, a raspberry, WHATEVER. 

Place the end of a lollipop stick on next.  Now cover it with a matching circle, and press the edges together.  Crimp the edges with a fork, then brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.  (Or you can omit the sticks and just have teeny little hand-held pies.)

You will go gaga over these, I promise.  And, since it’s an unofficial holiday, you can go unofficially crazy—make tiny chicken pot pies.  Or make pizza ones containing a pinch of meat, some pizza sauce, and a small piece of mozzarella.  The possibilities are endless.  And now I have saved you from getting arrested by the Pi Police.  You’re welcome.

Be a Sweetie Pie and browse through my other videos here, as well—and be sure to tell your friends to subscribe!

Never-fail Pie Crust

1 & ½ Cups shortening

3 Cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

5 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. vinegar

With an electric mixer, beat shortening into flour and salt.  Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add them all at once.  Beat until dough forms.  Wrap in plastic and chill.  Makes 2 crusts. This dough is easy to handle and rolls out without toughening.  Freezes well.