Who doesn’t like pie? Whether it is the all time favourite warm apple pie or a cool slice of Key Lime Pie with a dollop of fresh cream on it. This year you can make the World Pie Day on 14th March a little more special by celebrating it with the warmth of this traditional dessert. Celebrate this World Pie Day eating lots and lots of pies.

World Pie Day is actually a celebration of the World Pi Day. And then, it is also Albert Einstein’s birthday. And the most important things done on most World Pi Day celebrations is to eat pies and throw pies. Pie making and eating competitions are also held in many places to celebrate the occasion.

The history of pie is just as fascinating as its taste. The pie was born out of the need for nutritious, easy to store, easy to carry and long lasting foods on long journeys, in particular at sea. Carrying a butcher or a cook along on every trip was not always a feasible option. The introduction of baking of processed cereal, including the creation of flour provided a more reliable source of food. Early forms of pies were flat, round or freeform crusty cakes called galettes made using a crust of oats, wheat, rye or barley with honey inside. These galettes gave way to early form of sweet pastries or desserts. The ancient Greeks are credited with the origin of pie pastry. The pilgrims and early settlers moved it all over the world to places like America. Today, the pie has fitted into every culture with its warmth, and comes in a host of sweet and savoury seasonings and fillings.

Pie is an ultimate comfort food for many and brings back childhood memories of the fall. Renowned dietitian Sheela Seharawat shares some tips to bake that perfect pie at home and celebrate the World Pi Day in style.

The Crust of the Pie

• Always try to make a cracker crust pie. In order to ensure that the crust is crispy, use ice water instead of normal water and sprinkle it evenly all over the flour.
• Add half a teaspoon of baking powder to the mix before adding water.
• Avoid mixing and kneading the dough with your hands as the warmth of your hands changes the texture of the dough. Always use a hand blender or an electrical pastry blender for this purpose.
• Roll the dough with gentle strokes from the centre to outwards using as little dry flour as possible.
• Cover the edges of the pie before baking with aluminium foil and remove the foil as soon as baking is done. This would keep the edges from burning while baking, and keep them soft.

The Filling of the Pie

• If the filling has become too sweet during preparation, add in some fruit juice or lemon juice to balance out the sweetness.
• Use synthetic food colours to make your pies more colourful and appealing.
• Place a cookie sheet under the pie or use a larger pie mould to prevent any spillage in the oven.
• Bake a crust with higher edges when you make pumpkin pies so all the filling can fit in.
• If you are making a cool crust pie, prick the crust before baking to ensure that the crust won’t shrink upon freezing.

So which pie would you bake this World Pie Day? Do tell us in the comments or on our social profiles.

Note:

Ms. Sheela Seharawat is the founding member of the Diet Clinic which has over 35 outlets across India. She has previously worked as a dietitian with the Indian Army Hospital. The Diet Clinic has been recognised as one of the “10 best startups in Fitness” by silicon India Start Up City.