Happy Pi(e) Day!

Today is March 14th, which means it's Pi Day! If you've never heard of Pi Day, you must learn about it; it'll give you a fantastic excuse to make and eat dessert. And who doesn't love a great excuse to eat dessert?!

Exactly.

Let me tell you this: today's date is 3/14. The Greek letter Pi's first few digits of mathematical value are 3.14. Get it?!



As many of you know, I am not mathematically inclined. In fact, one of the happiest days of my life was a couple of years ago when I walked out of the last math class I would ever have to take. I nearly cried--and I'm not exaggerating.

Growing up, the only day of math class I ever looked forward to Pi Day, March 14th. Derived from the first three numbers of Pi's mathematical value 3.14, Pi day was the best day in math class in the entire year solely because all of the math teachers would make pies.

Pie--the only thing that could coax a book nerd with a sweet tooth to memorize numbers she would never care about otherwise.

I owe so much to that clever math teacher who decided to make a teaching moment out of a clever pun. I remember one teacher who made a wager us students: if any of his pupils could say the first 20 digits of Pi, they would earn a slice of glorious pie. I remember memorizing the first not twenty, but twenty-one digits of Pi--I treated them like they were phone numbers. So in my mind, I was only memorizing three phone numbers to get a slice of pie--a small price to pay. Needless to say, I rattled the numbers off flawlessly in order to get myself a nice slice of pecan pie. The sad thing is that I can remember the flavor of the pie...but I can't remember the actual number.

3.141...5...9...maybe? That's about all I've got...*sigh*

I'm missing so many digits. This is disgraceful.

And that's why I have a food blog...and don't work for NASA. Trust me--it's DEFINITELY in everybody's best interest!

So in honor of Pi Day, I have decided to give you a pie recipe of my own. I made this pie for my dear friend, Laura Bailey. She is a wonderfully brilliant friend (who probably knows many more digits of Pi than I do) who proclaimed that she wanted--no, needed--a coconut cream pie for her birthday. And because she needed one so much, I made her one. Then again, I didn't really need much prodding to make her pie. So if you ever tell me you want a pie...I will probably make you one.

Don't tempt me for the sake of it. That would just be cruel!

Alright friends, let's get down to it: the great thing about this recipe is that it's full of delicious coconut without being overly sweet! I make mine in a graham cracker crust because...well, I actually prefer those over the traditional pastry crust. But if you don't have any graham crackers lying around, this would be great with a traditional crust too! This pie is fantastic in the warmer months--a great way to cool off! Just make sure this is in your life by summertime, ok?

Ok.

Coconut Cream Pie (serves 8-10)
*click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipe*

For the Crust

• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  
• 1 stick of butter, melted

For the Filling

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

For the Topping

• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

To make the Crust:

To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and add to the crumb mixture, stirring until everything is moist and just comes together (if you need to add butter or graham cracker crumbs to achieve your desired consistency, that's fine--these numbers are a starting point for you). Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan with your palm or the back of a spoon. Set aside, and make pie filling.

To make the Filling:

Whisk the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour in medium bowl. Bring the milk and coconut to a simmer (a rolling bubble) in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly--you don't want to have scrambled eggs in your pie! Return the mixture to the same saucepan. Cook the mixture until the custard boils then thickens, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Pour the custard to a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface--this prevents a nasty skin from forming on top of the pie. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours. Transfer the filling to crust. Cover and chill overnight.

At this point, the pie looks like this. Still yummy, but now it's time to dress it up!

To make the topping:

Toast the coconut in a small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

Using electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and coconut extract in medium bowl until stiff peaks form (make sure your whipping cream and beaters are cold--this encourages peaks to form). Spread the whipped cream over top of filling. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the surface of the pie. Serve the pie cold, and devour it!

Mmm...the wonderful custardy goodness with the whipped creamy goodness...it's enough to make you swoon! Let's take a closer look.


Oh, look at that crunchy toasted coconutty goodness...I just wanna swipe my finger across the top of that pie. I'm mischievous like that.


Darling friends, even if you're not into coconut, MAKE THIS PIE! Many of my friends who aren't coconut people enjoy this pie. And for those of you who enjoy coconut...you're going to thank yourself for making it.

Any day that celebrates with pie, even if it's remotely associated with math, is ok with me. I hope you enjoy Pi Day as much as I do!

Taking every advantage of this blessed day,
Amy

EDIT: To second what Amy said - I too celebrated Pi(e) Day. Mother Pea and I had every intention of making our own pie, but the whole "Spring Forward" thing threw us off. So instead, this Pea went to The Loveless Cafe (one of the best, most celebrated Southern restaurants in Tennessee). There, I had my choice of about 15 pies, I settled on the Southern Pecan Pie. OH MY GOODNESS. Best Pie ever. I still have some left over...it will be eaten on 3.15 The IDES OF MARCH. Beware...

Cautiously Full,
Caitlin

Amy's Lemon Icebox Pie

Is it just me, or has it been a really long winter this year? How many days has it been gloomy and overcast? How many days has the wind been whipping through the trees, across your cheeks, and into your bones? How many times has it snowed this year?!

I've been praying for relief since the end of January. But then the groundhog saw his shadow. And I almost wept bitterly.

But you know what? It's all ok because...

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's almost time for taking long walks on sunny days, picking fresh flowers, feeling the green grass under my toes. My friends, it's almost time for the earth to come alive again! I can't tell you how excited I am for longer days and trees with green leaves on them!

This has been the theme of my thoughts lately. On Friday afternoon, I spotted a beautiful pink pie pan in my lovely friend Ms. Kenna's office. And like any mature person, I rhapsodized over the beauty of the dish and begged her to tell me where she got it. She coyly smiled at me and told me that she'd make a bet with me: if I could put something wonderful and worthy of her affections into that pie pan, I would get to keep the dish.

Folks, this is a no-brainer: I am a college student. I'm all about the free stuff.

Ms. Kenna loves the warm weather more than I do, so I knew I had to put something in that dish to remind her of the beautiful sunshine she loves so much. And what says sunshine more than the taste of fresh lemons?

I think you know where this is going--I made a lemon icebox pie.

Have you heard of the wonder that is lemon icebox? I think it might be more of a Southern thing. I've lived in the South all my life, so sometimes I just assume that everybody has heard of things like lemon icebox. But as I was making this pie, all of my friends from the North kept asking me what on earth lemon icebox pie was. I was astounded!

If you've never had lemon icebox, this is going to rock your world! It's super easy, and even more delicious. The fresh lemon flavor reminds me of the fun times to be had in the warmer weather. This pie will be a staple for all of your cookouts and potlucks this summer! Add a homemade graham cracker crust, and people will grovel at your feet.

Lemon Icebox Pie (serves 8-10)
*Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe*

For the crust:

• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  
• 1 stick of butter, melted
  

For the pie filling:

• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  
• 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, or juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Make the crust:

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and add to the crumb mixture, stirring until everything is moist (if you need to add butter or graham cracker crumbs to achieve your desired consistency, that's fine--these numbers are a starting point for you). Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan with your palm or the back of a spoon. Set aside, and make pie filling.

Whip up the filling:

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat at a medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the crust, and smooth the surface. Place the pie into a refrigerator (this the where the "icebox"comes in!), and let it sit overnight or at least 8 hours. Keep the pie chilled until ready to serve.



My friends, give this recipe a try. Like I said, it's SUPER simple, and it's just so flavorful! You'll wonder how you lived life without it.

As for the pie pan? I got to keep it. Life is good.

Not-so-patiently awaiting warmer temperatures,
Amy

P.S. Here's a fun trick: if you heat your lemons in the microwave for about 15 seconds, they'll give you a little more juice. Try it out!