How Are You Celebrating Pi Day This Year?
Happy Pi Day! To celebrate this year, I’ve made a Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie.
What is Pi Day?
Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi, 3.14). Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. It’s celebrated every year on March 14th around the world because of the beginning digits of the circumference of the circle.
What does Pi Day mean for food bloggers?
In the foodie world on Pi day, we make Pie! Any and all types of pie, savory or sweet.
Apple is usually a Fall pie, but I love it year round, so to make it more Spring, I added berries. This Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie is perfect for the season.
How do you make this Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie?
Start with the pie dough for the pie crusts. You can either make it from scratch or use pre made rolled dough like pilsbury Thats in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Both will hold the shapes of the crust decor.
Add thinly sliced apples mixed with sugar and spices to a dough lined pie pan. Then add the berries on top of the apples. Cut out 7 medium sized strips of dough and make a lattice design. Place 4 strips in one direction and the last 3 in the other direction weaving them together. To make the strips an even number, the fourth strip for one direction will be a braid.
How do you make a pie dough braid for the Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie?
Cut 3 strips of rolled pie dough each about 1/2 inch wide. Pinch the ends together on one side and carefully start to braid them together, one on top of the other. Be gentle so the dough doesn’t break. At the end of the braid, pinch the ends together to hold the braid in place. Add the braid on top of the lattice. I spaced them out so there is one strip, then the braid, then the last 2 strips.
Now to finish off the decor:
Use small flowers and leaves cookie cutters or plungers for the decor. Mix an egg with water to make an egg wash. This will be your “glue” to add the dough decor. Brush the egg wash around the perimeter of the pie. Arrange the leaves and flowers on the perimeter. Brush the egg wash all over the pie and bake for an hour.
Now you have you perfect Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie!
Here are a few more pies perfect for celebrating Pi Day:
Mixed Berry Apple Spring Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed and frozen
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 6-8 tsp ice water
Filling
- 2-3 apples, peeled cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 egg + 1 tsp water for egg wash
Instructions
- Combine flour, butter, shortening, salt in a food processor. Pour in water until dough comes together. Shape into a disk. Wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, divide dough into 2 pieces. Roll out one half and place in a pie dish. Combine apple slices, 3/4 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and the flour in a bowl. Pour into bottom crust. Toss berries with the remaining 1/4 cup or sugar in a bowl then top the apples with it.Roll out 3/4 of the remaining dough. Cut out 7 strips about 1-1 1/2 inch wide. Cut 3 thin strips about 1/2 inch wide. Made these into a braid. Make a lattice crust with dough strips, four in one direction and 3 in the other. Add the braid as a fourth strip on the same side as the 3 strips. Use flower and leave cutters to make leaf and flower cut outs. Cut off the excess dough around the sides. Make the egg wash and brush around the edges of the pie. Arrange the leaves and flower cut outs along the perimeter. Brush the entire pie with the egg wash. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until browned.
