Story Photos
 Today is National Pie Day, so celebrate with a little slice of heaven. Treat yourself — or a friend, neighbor or co-worker — to French silk chocolate pie (center), sour cream raisin pie (top right) or another equally sweet offering. Photo illustration by Roger Werth / The Daily News
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Random acts of pieness: American Pie Council encourages pie lovers to bake it forward
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:38 AM PST
By News Wire and The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleCHICAGO -- In the blizzard of national days for everything from peanuts to psoriasis, the American Pie Council has cooked up a warm and winning public relations gimmick.
"The great tradition of pie has a way of invoking childhood memories of warm feelings and the closeness of sharing with others," said Linda Hoskins, APC's executive director. "Why not pass that special feeling onto others? Get two pies when you're at the grocery store � one to enjoy with your family and one to give to the person behind you in line. Bring a pie to a new neighbor and get to know each other over a slice of pie. You might indulge your co-workers and bring some pie to work, or you can say 'thank you' to someone with a warm hug wrapped in a delicious crust."
Sweet indeed.
Anticipating the day, the pie people have spurred Cyrus O'Leary's Pies of Airway Heights, Wash., to bake pies with students at Hamblen Elementary School in Spokane today. The company will also participate in random acts of pieness by handing out single serve pies to businesses and individuals.
The Columbus, Neb.-based Blue Ribbon Pie Co. will deliver free, fresh-baked pies to first responder and military personnel, including local fire fighters, police officers and members of the Armed Forces, according to the APC's press release.
The Michigan Apple Committee is hosting National Pie Day contest to determine Michigan's Best Apple Pie. Winners will receive $500 and a free trip to Florida to compete in the American Pie Council/Crisco National Pie Championships in April.
The town of Celebration, Fla., will host a National Pie Day social with pies donated by Publix Supermarkets. The event is also serving as a volunteer recruitment drive for the Great American Pie Festival, which the town will host April 19-20.
The California Raisin Marketing Board will mail a four-recipe pie brochure (Classic California Raisin Pie, Dutch Apple California Raisin Pie, The Best-ever California Raisin Sour Cream Pie and Mocha Chiffon Pie) to amateur and commercial pie bakers and baking schools across the country.
The Sand Sifters, a volunteer group dedicated to cleaning up the Boynton Beach area of Florida, is enticing volunteers throughout the month of January with free pie slices donated by Sara Lee and the American Pie Council.
American Pie Council member Diane Lally and a group of friends are donate pies today to Pittsburgh non-profit Light of Life for distribution to the homeless.
Cookbook author, multiple National Pie Championship winner and frequent Food Network contributor John Michael Lerma will share his expert pie baking knowledge by conducting a class today in St. Paul Minn.
Taxi drivers across Chicago are hanging apple pie-scented air fresheners from the American Pie Council to "pay it forward" by giving their passengers the comforting aroma of apple pie as they travel through a frigid day in te windy city.
In its press release, the American Pie Council identifies itself as the only organization committed to maintaining America's pie heritage. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships.
For more information, please visit www.piecouncil.org.
But enough with the commercial tie-ins. It's time to get baking. Dig out your own old favorites, or try these recipes, including last year's APC prize winner.
STRAWBERRY CREAM DELIGHT PIE
Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup crused vanilla wafers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, crushed wafers and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle one tablespoon of cold water over mix. Gently toss with fork, adding remaining water until all is moistened. Form dough into ball. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim, flute and prick bottom and sides with a fork.
Bake at 350 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Strawberry Layer
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry Jell-O
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries
Cream Layer
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
For strawberry layer, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and is thick and clear. Add Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and refrigerate until slightly thickened.
For cream layer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium size bowl. Beat until smooth. Add whipped cream. Spoon half of mixture into prepared crust. Top with half of the strawberry mixture. Repeat layers.
Garnish with whipped cream and strawberries.
- Carol Socier, who won Best of Show in the 2007 APC Crisco National Pie Championships
SPICED APPLE PIE
Two batches of pate brisee (recipe follows)
4 pounds Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground)
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Refrifgerate the second disk of dough.
Peel and core the apples. Thinly slice half the apples, and cut remaining apples into 1-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss together the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place filling in the prepared and chilled piecrust, mounding filling in the center. Dot with the butter pieces.
Roll out the second disk of dough.
To make egg wash, whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl.
Lightly brush edge of bottom pie crust with egg wash. Cover the pie with the top crust and use a fork to pierce it several times.
Brush egg wash on the top crust and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
Place foil on the lower oven rack to catch any juices. Place the pie on the middle rack and bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake unit crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Tent with foil of crust browns too quickly.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Martha Stewart Living, November 2007
OLD-FASHIONED COCONUT-LEMON PIE
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soft butter
3 eggs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
Pastry for a 9-inch pie, 2 crusts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
In a mixing bowl, blend 1 1/4 cups sugar with flour and salt. Blend in butter.
In a separate bowl, break eggs, saving 1 teaspoon of egg white. Beat the eggs well and add them to the sugar mixture. Blend well. Add coconut, water, lemon rind and juice.
Line a pie plate with enough pastry for one crust, and pour in the lemon-coconut filling.
Moisten outer edges of crust and top with the second crust. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
Fold edges of bottom crust over top crust and flute the edges.
Brush top with the reserved egg white. Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the top of the pie with it.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until pie crust is golden brown. Cool,
- from "Treasured Recipes of the Northwest," 1979, by Eleanor Makinser of Rainier, former food writer for The Daily News who died in 2006,
SOUR CREAM RAISIN PIE
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a pie pan with the unbaked pastry. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place in the unbaked shell.
Bake for about 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Emma Arnold of Cathlamet, in "Treasured Recipes of the Northwest."
MAPLE WALNUT PIE
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 large eggs
3/4 cup real maple syrup
Few squirts lemon juice
Dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups walnut pieces
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat together everything except the walnuts. Use a blender, or wire whisk or an electric mixer. Just be sure the mixture is light and smooth.
Spread the walnuts into the bottom of a pie pan lined with an unbaked pie crust. Pour the batter over the nuts. Bake for 30 minutes, or until solid. Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream.
- "Moosewood Cookbook," by Mollie Katzen, 1977.
FRENCH SILK CHOCOLATE PIE
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (chilled)
1/2 pint heavy cream, whipped
Walnuts (optional)
Shaved chocolage curls (optional)
1 baked and cooled pie shell
Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer. Blend in cooled and melted chocolate and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat 2 minutes after each addition on high speed. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into baked pie shell. Chill until firm (2 hours).
If desired, garnish with walnut halves and shaved chocolate curls. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps well in the freezer.
- Cook.com
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