revenge of the nerds

I like pie. Fruity or creamy, sweet or savory--there are only a few exceptions (such as pumpkin, citrus, or anything bearing meringue). I'm also a math geek, so it makes perfect sense that I get excited about Pi Day.


Although the filling of a pie does indeed matter to me, the crust is of far greater importance. I think Barbara of Moveable Feasts put it quite nicely in her post about a lemon tart: "As far as I'm concerned if the crust is no good, I'm not wasting the calories." Right on.


Last year, I almost missed Pi Day but was able to toss together some pecan pie muffins. This year, I was ready and I made a classic apple pie to celebrate. Yes, I could wax poetic about the benefits of using multiple varieties of apples based on their differing textures and levels of sweetness, but I won't. You know what you like.


I will, however, stress the importance of a golden, buttery, flaky crust. Again, you know what you like. You probably have a go-to crust that you've tweaked such that it suits you perfectly; I know I do. My fat preference involves a combination--shortening for that melt-in-your-mouth quality and butter for its awesome flavor. I also like a fair amount of sugar, and I always add cinnamon. The result, if prepared correctly, is a dough that's easy to handle and bakes up into a slightly crispy, ready-to-dissolve-on-the-tongue crust.

Have a pleasant Pi Day!

Apple Pi
(adapted from here)

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the pie:
3 1/2 to 4 pounds (8 to 12) apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided use
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the crust:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon with a fork until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and mix with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your magnificent hands until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and mix until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out and fitting the bottom crust into a pie plate.

Make the pie:
Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500°F. Toss the apples with cup of the sugar, the flour, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
Roll out the top crust to a 12-inch circle. Spread the apples in the unbaked pie crust bottom, mounding them slightly in the middle. Loosely roll the top crust around the rolling pin, then gently unroll it over the apples. Trim all but 1/2-inch of the dough overhanging the edge of the pie plate with scissors. Seal the edge by pressing the top and bottom crusts together, then tuck the edges underneath. Crimp the edges, and cut four vent holes in the top. Brush the crust with beaten egg white or milk and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature again to 375°F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.