Some Great Recipes To Celebrate National Pie Day
In case you were living under a rock, January 23rd is National Pie Day! Who doesn’t love pie? With so many options for these tasty treats, I’ve picked out some of my favorites to share with you all. Get the pans and crusts ready. Your mouth is going to water over these yummy pastries.
Here are some great recipes to celebrate National Pie Day.
Key Lime Pie – The Crust
This sour and creamy combo is one of my favorites. You’re going to need graham crackers, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, limes, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and heavy cream.
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Take 10 graham cracker sheets and blend them in a food processor or smash them in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. This is what you’re going to use for the crust of the pie. In a mixing bowl, add 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup of the unsalted butter melted.
Once blended, add the mixture to a pie pan and press it into an even layer along the bottom. Bake until golden brown between 10 and 15 minutes. Let it cool outside of the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.
Key Lime Pie – The Filling
Now you need your filling for this National Pie Day delicacy. Take three of your eggs and separate each yolk. Whisk them with some zest from the limes for flavor. Stir in one 14-ounce can of the sweetened condensed milk and after juicing the limes to get 1/2 cup of lime juice, add that in as well. Then add 1/4 cup of sour cream. Let his mixture rest for 15 minutes to thicken.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread it evenly. Bake it for around 15 minutes until the filling sets and becomes jiggly. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 45 minutes. Afterward, refrigerate it for at least 4 hours.
Finally, for the topping, whip 3/4 cup of heavy cream with 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of granulated sugar until fluffy. Decorate on top of the pie and add lime slices for garnishing.
Whiskey Sweet Potato Pie – The Prep Work
Here in Texas, whiskey sweet potato pie is a staple around the holidays or even for barbecues and family gatherings. Consider this option for National Pie Day if you’re looking for something sweet and sharp on the tongue. You’ll need sweet potatoes, brown sugar, softened butter, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, your favorite whiskey, an unbaked pie shell, heavy cream, and granulated sugar.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While that’s happening, you’re going to boil two sweet potatoes until they get tender. Afterward, remove the peels and mash them until they are smooth.
Whiskey Sweet Potato Pie – The Filling
You’re going to start with your filling. Beat three eggs and measure out two cups of what you’ve mashed to put it all into a mixing bowl. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the softened butter, 1 cup of the half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground nutmeg, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of your favorite whiskey. Mix it all together until it’s well blended.
Add the filling to your unbaked pie shell that should be in your pie pan. Bake this deliciousness for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 80 minutes. Once finished, let it cool. While it’s cooling, make the topping just like you did for the key lime pie above. Whip 3/4 cup of heavy cream with 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of granulated sugar until fluffy. Once your pie is cool enough, add it to the top and you will thank me later.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – The Prep Work
I’ve never met a strawberry rhubarb pie that I didn’t like, but I will say that this one is my absolute favorite. No National Pie Day is complete without this tart dessert. You’ll need an egg, ice water, white vinegar, all-purpose flour, salt, cold lard, granulated sugar, instant tapioca, fresh rhubarb, fresh strawberries, butter, 2% milk, and coarse sugar.
You’re going to start with some prep work. In a bowl, mix an egg, 4 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 4 tablespoons of ice water until blended. In a separate bowl, mix 2 and 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt. Add 3/4 of cold lard into the second bowl until crumbly. Slowly, then, add the cold egg mixture from the first bowl until the dough holds well together.
Divide your dough in half. You’re going to shape each one into flat pizzas, wrap them in plastic, and then refrigerate them overnight.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – The Filling And Crust
When you’re ready to make the filling and the crust, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix 1 and 1/4 cups of granulated sugar with 6 tablespoons of the instant tapioca in a bowl for your filling. Add 3 cups of sliced rhubarb and 3 cups of strawberry halves and toss until the rhubarb and strawberries are covered. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Flour a surface and roll one of the halves of refrigerated dough into a 1/8 inch-thick circle for the bottom crust of the pie. Place this into a pie pan and trim the dough on the sides. Add the filling inside and dot it with 3 tablespoons of butter. Repeat the rolling process of the other half of the dough for the top of the pie. Place it over the filling, trim it, and seal it. Cut slits at the top of the pie and brush 1 tablespoon of 2% milk over it all.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees and bake the pie for an additional 45 minutes at least and remove it once the crust appears golden brown. The filling should also be bubbling at this point. Once the pie looks perfect, take it out and let it cool. I recommend you serve this with vanilla ice cream if you want that extra zing to it.
What’s your favorite dessert? Do you have plans to celebrate National Pie Day? Let me know in the comments section!
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Scott Hill is a former middle school educator and current poet with multiple self-published collections. He has a degree in English Literature and Psychology from the University of Houston and resides nearby where he can be seen tending to plants at his job, snuggling with his dog on the sofa, or spending time with loved ones. He enjoys whiskey and wine nights and loves writing about other poets, personal life experiences, mental health, food, and sometimes Taylor Swift. Feel free to follow him on Instagram @scotthillpoetry!