Saturday, March 14, 2009

Pi Day Pie

Last year I learned about Pi Day. It is annually on March 14 so designated for the formula for Pi 3.14159. I love it when math intersects with a celebration and food. A pie I absolutely love - of many - is the Peaches and Cream pie Mimi made. I think she received the recipe from Dad's partner's wife Audrey Brookfield.

Audrey is a wonderful cook and I cooked with her as a young teen several times. Mimi and Bobo were at Audrey and Ernie's playing cards one Saturday evening when I was out. I forgot my house keys so I stopped in at their home to pick up a spare set to let myself in at home. Audrey made a pizza pie to share that night. I had never had pizza pie so it was an adventure. It was really delicious. It was simple with a homemade crust, tomato sauce and cheese melted on the top. It was so delicious. At that point it was a very exotic food and there were no pizza restaurants in Toledo. That would quickly change! Forty some years later it is a go to meal after a long work day or a snack in more combinations than you can count. As well it is no longer considered to be a pie but simply pizza.

Peaches and Cream pie is pretty much just that. Peaches spooned into a crust with a mixture of cream, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon poured over the top and baked. This pie is amazing and fun in that you can substitute other fruits of combinations for the peaches and have a delectable dessert.

Peaches and Cream Pie

1 deep dish unbaked pie crust (I make my own but you can buy one)
Fill the crust with sliced peaches

Mix together:
2/3 C sugar
4 T flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C cream (Mimi always rinsed out the half pint box of cream with a little extra milk and add it to the other ingredients)

Pour over the peaches in the crust. Tap the bottom of the dish several time on the counter to help the cream permeate all of the spaces between the peaches.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You might want to fold and attach a strip of foil or a pie shield around the edge crust to protect it from burning.

This is great with apples and a little nutmeg too! So Pi Day hurray!

2 comments:

  1. what a lovely story. i have never heard of pi day! being the math lover i am, pi day is very clever. very.

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  2. From the Steel City and Panera on Rt 8. I don't think I ever had pizza "pie" or even knew of it until the mid 60's. This peach recipe sounds divine! But my sweets this week will just have to be Clark bars!!! LOL

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