National Pie Day is January 23rd, and I can think of no better way to celebrate than with six gorgeous pie recipes!
The ancient Greeks and Romans are credited as the first cultures to introduce pies to the world. The ancients filled pastry shells with a meats and seafood, flavoring them with exotic spices pillaged on their conquests. Although savory in nature, the Greeks and Romans served their meat filled pies with the sweets course at the completion of a meal. Later, as their ambition for world domination carried them farther away from home, pies became a hearty, portable meal option to take on the road.
Sweet pies as we know them didn’t come about until the 1800’s, but they soon reached iconic status in the United States by the middle of the 20th Century.
“Pie is the American synonym of prosperity, and its varying contents the calendar of the changing seasons.” ~ NY Times, 1902
Of course Pie is Iconic! A single bite of pie brings forth the warmth of being enveloped in your grandmother’s arms. Pie radiates sunshine on even the darkest of days. Pie is the epitome of Happiness. Pie is Love.
While pie has earned a distinguished place in both history and our hearts, National Pie Day is far more recent. The National Pie Council created National Pie Day in 1986, to celebrate Crisco’s 75th anniversary of “serving foods to people everywhere”. As most of us know, Crisco is an oft preferred ingredient in flaky pie crusts.
You could say that National Pie Day is really just an excuse to celebrate pie!
So celebrate pie, I shall–with six gorgeous pies!
Let’s start out with what’s considered to be the most popular pie in America–the apple pie! Did you know that there are over 386 versions of apple pie? It’s true! In fact, entire cookbooks have been written that include only recipes for apple pie!
My BFF Jeanne – Inside NanaBread’s Head simplified apple pie by eliminating the need for a pie plate in her Slab Apple Pie. It’s an apple-y, cinnamon-y wonder, that pie!
“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness” ~Jane Austen
In fact, Jeanne is such a Pie Girl that she was my inspiration for this Orange Cream Pie! Part custard, part citrus curd, part whipped cream–it’s no wonder why Orange Cream Pie is one of my favorites. Especially on National Pie Day!
“Men may come and men may go…..but Pie goes on for ever.” ~ George Augustus Sala
My friend Carrie – Bakeaholic Mama baked a Buttermilk Sugar Cream Pie when she was homesick for a taste of her childhood trips to Indiana. Also called Hoosier Sugar Pie, Carrie adapted our friend Heather’s Recipe to come up her own version that’s a close cousin to her beloved, famous Mrs. Wick’s pies.
“When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it’s not, mmmmmmmm, boy.” – Jack Handy
“Pie is a symbol of something bigger than Mom and her way with desserts.” ~ Pasquale Le Draqulec
My Dad’s favorite pie is a good coconut cream–nothing too fancy, just toasted coconut, vanilla custard, and whipped cream. As such, I was thrilled to see my friend Haley – The Girly Girl Cooks’ simple Coconut Cream Pie. If there’s anything better than a sprinkle of toasted coconut over a mound of whipped cream and custard, I want to meet it.
“Can’t talk. Eating pie. Experiencing nirvana.” ~ from the TV series “Ed”
“You had me at fruit pies” – Bobby Hill, King of the Hill
But as today is National Pie Day, I’m going to indulge my penchant for pie and pretty things.
This stunning Mango Cream Pie is one of my favorite creations. Nothing tastes more like home to me than a good vanilla custard pie with sweet fruit nestled on top!
Candy might be sweet, but it’s a traveling carnival blowing through town. Pie is home. People always come home.” ~ Pushing Daisies
Happy National Pie Day, Friends!
Comments