Happy Pi Day!

Today is March 14 or (3.14).  If you have a child in school or just happen to be a bit of a math geek you know that it is "Pi" Day.  Pi  or is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.  Pi = 3.1415926535…  It is an irrational number and continues without repeating.

March 14 is also Albert Einstein's birthday.  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) releases admissions decisions for the incoming freshman class on March 14 - at "Tau" time or 6:28 p.m.  Tau is 6.28...  or 2 and uses the radius instead of the diameter.  If you do an internet search on Pi Day you will find all sorts of interesting activities and information.

Are you celebrating Pi Day?  I am planning to make an apple pie - a family favorite.

I took this series of photos a while ago for my ongoing family cookbook project.  I thought I would share the photos in their original order and before too long I'll show you how the final pages with the actual recipe turn out.

When I finish the pages, the recipe will be on the photos with the step by step directions.

Just in case all of these photos made you hungry - here are the recipes for the crust and the apple filling.  If you want to make a pie that is much faster to make and also delicious, the Swedish Apple Pie recipe with no crust making required is always a hit.  (Click the words to go to a post with that recipe).

Pie Crust:

1 3/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of oil (I use canola oil)
3 tablespoons of cold water

Mix flour and salt.  Add oil and stir together.  Sprinkle water over the mixture and mix well until a ball is formed.  Divide into two slightly unequal pieces and use the larger one for the bottom crust.  Roll out between two sheets of waxed paper and flip into the pie dish.  Trim around the edge of the pie plate and repair any gaps with the extra pieces of crust.  Any leftover bits of dough can be added to the second piece for the top crust.

Apple Filling:

Peel and cut up apples into quarters and then thinner slices.  You will need enough apples to yield about 3 1/2 cups of sliced apples.

Mix together:
4 tablespoons of flour
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

(You may want less sugar if the variety of apples you choose is sweeter).  Put half of this mixture in the prepared pie crust and then add a layer of apples, stacking the apples neatly in a circle pattern.  Then add the rest of the mixture and another layer of apples.  Dot the top of the apples with butter (optional) and then place the top crust over the pie.  Pinch the two crust layers together and make a scallop pattern around the edge of the pie.  Cut some venting slits in the top crust with a paring knife.

Bake in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 45 - 50 minutes.  You may want to place a cookie sheet under the pie to catch any drips of the apple juice bubbles out of the crust.

This pie had a little of the filling bubble over on the left side but it still tasted delicious!

I hope you are getting some of the nice weather we have been having - the warm days have been such a treat!  I am up to my ears in one of the "big" projects I mentioned - an exhibit for a local town building that has to go up at the end of the month.  I'll share some photos soon.

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