Why is Pie so complicated?
Another year has gone by. And, it’s March 14 again. Time for math geeks to do some baking. You guessed it. It’s national Pi day. Time to think about how many places out you can recite that number that the world revolves around. And, it literally does. Remember, pi is the multiplier that helps one measure circles. So, of course, everyone’s favorite circle is Pie. And, that’s where se come in. When you think about it, both Pi and Pie make the world go around. Whether in Australia, Antarctica, or America. Pies are some of the most beloved things. You can’t count how many pies that have been consumed or will be. So, despite Pi being a universal mathematical thing that demands precision. Its counterpart, the pie, demand to be eaten. So, Why is Pie so complicated?
Last year, we brought you a recipe for Apple pie.The year before was pizza Pie. This year, we want to look at what other types of pie are out there.Unfortunately, some of them don’t work with Pi. Pi is essential in calculating circles. And, while many pies are circles, some are different shapes. Think of spinach pie or hand pies. When you start getting into layered things, they may as well be cakes. Maybe we should stick to cake instead. But, pie is so universal. We’ll save cake for another day.
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Why is Pie so complicated? It seems pretty simple.
What is pie? A crust and filling. Doesn’t sound like much to get worked up about. But, pie lovers will tell you, it has to be perfect. There is a certain flakiness to the crust. The filling has to be the right consistency. These things take a certain eye for detail. You need to have the right ratio of butter and flour. And, the temperature and size of the ingredients make a big difference. By incorporating larger pieces of butter, you create pockets of crispiness in a crust when it bakes and the butter melts. Who knew there was science in the art of doing something Aunt B and grandmothers across the country have been doing for years?
Admittedly, I have failed at this in the past. A few years ago, I made an apple pie. The crust was nice and flaky. But, I tried to make the filling simply with just fresh apples tossed in sugar and spices. Unfortunately, I didn’t add in any thickening agent to the filling. So, it came out like soup. All the flavors were there. But, the filling just oozed out. Lesson learned. A simple fix for something that should be simple anyway.
As with most things in life, so many things could go wrong for the most innocuous reasons. You can overwork the dough. Or over or underspice the filling. If you don’t use a citrus, it may fall flat. This is one of the reasons I prefer cooking to baking. Once it goes into the oven, you are committed to it. If all your measurements weren’t precise, you can’t go back and “adjust” things. If you simply follow directions, baking is simple. But, if you like to “wing it”, it’s not so forgiving.
Back to types of pie
Most Americans think of pie as a sweet thing: Apple, lemon meringue, Coconut Cream, etc. But, there are plenty of savory variations out there. Quiche is one that we see often. And, then there are different variations from countries across the globe. Many British territories love meat pies. Irish pubs have steak and Guinness Pies. Australians have miniature meat pies that people will just carry around with them. And, then, there are hand pies like South African Bobotie incorporating meat and raisins or chutney. Jamaicans have similar types. And, there are empenadas in Latin American countries. And, the Italians have Torta Pasqualina, a flaky crust filled with swiss chard, ricotta, and whole eggs baked right into it.
In Bolivia, they have Saltenas, another meat pie similar to the British and Australian ones, but with more spices. And, of course, the Greeks have Spanikopita or spinach pie that doesn’t even look like pie. In Moroccan cooking they have a pie that goes by many names: pastilla, bastilla, bisteeya, b’stilla, or bstilla. However you pronounce it, it’s chicken in a crust with almonds and cinnamon sugar. And, of course, there is the Russian Coulibiac: Salmon or Sturgeon Baked in pastry. And, of course, there is the classic Italian Pizza Pie.
We could go on all day. And, these are just the savory pies we are talking about here. It makes on ask: Why is Pie so complicated?
But, most people want sweet pies
And, we don’t want to disappoint. A couple years ago, we did pizza, which is a pie for pie day. We recalled a Visit to the Portland Pie company where we were sorely disappointed to find their pies were pizzas and not sweet dessert pies. So, this year, we decided not to disappoint. Even though we just talked about all these savory pies. We know you came here looking for a dessert pie. So, without further ado, here is Pie:
Limoncello scented Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- Pie crust (recipe to follow)
- For Filling:
- 1 Cup Water
- 5 Large Egg Yolks (you will use the egg whites for the meringue later)
- 1 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Cornstarch
- 3/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- For Meringue:
- 5 Large Egg Whites
- 1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- For the Limoncello Garnish:
- 1 Cup Limocello
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- The zest of 2 lemons, peeled off with a channel knofe into long strips
Instructions
- Par-bake the pie crust: Roll out the dough and fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Poke the bottom lightly with a fork. Then spray with pan spray and line the inside of the dough with foil, place dry beans or rice in the foil to weigh the crust down, so it will stay in place and maintain its shape. Bake at 375, until the crust is lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Remove the foil and beans. You can Work on the filling and meringue while this is baking. When done, reduce temperature to 350.
- Make the Limoncello Garnish: Boil the limoncello, water, sugar and zest until it becomes a syrup and the zest becomes limp and almost translucent. Set aside to cool.
- Make the Filling: Mix the corn starch with a little water to make a slurry. Whisk together the sugar, water, juice, salt, and lemon zest in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle the hot liquid into the egg yolks while whisking until both are the same temperature, transfer it back into the pot and return to the stove. Stir continuously until it begins to thicken. Whisk in the cornstarch and allow the mixture to thicken. Be careful not to overcook the eggs or they will become scrambled. When thick, transfer to the pie crust and smooth out.
- Make the meringue: In a stand mixer with a whip attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Add in the sugar and salt. Continue whipping until stiff peaks appear. Do not over-whip or it will break down. You can either spread the meringue with a rubber spatula or pipe on top with a pastry bag and tip.
- Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes. The top should have a golden brown hue. You can tent it with foil if it gets too dark too quick. Remove from the oven. Let it rest for about an hour. Refrigerate for about 3 to 4 hours so it has time to set up solidly enough to cut. Drizzle with the limoncello syrup and drape the zest from the limoncello evenly over the top of the pie or garnish as you are serving.
Notes
Flaky Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Ice Water
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Chop the cold butter into pea sized pieces. Chop the butter into the flour and mix until it becomes like coarse meal. Add water about a tablespoon at a time, and mix well until a dough appears. You don't want to make it too wet. Once it is firm, but, not tacky, form two balls. Roll each in flour, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until you are ready to use it. The dough can hold for days. You can even freeze it. A handy trick is to roll it out, put it in a pie tine, and freeze the extra so you have a pie crust ready to go, next time you want to make a pie. It will save a lot of time.