Life

Happy National Pie Day!

Vanessa Hernandez, Staff Reporter

January 24, 2024

Happy National Pie Day! Did you know that today, January 23, marks the official Pie Day? Charlie Papazian started this national day in the mid-1970s. Charlie was a nuclear engineer in Boulder, Colorado, a teacher, and a brewer. He declared his birthday to be marked as National Pie Day, which was supported and sponsored by the American Pie Council, and this is how this day came to be! Today can be a day to complete one of your New Year’s resolutions if learning new recipes is one of them! Pies can vary in size, stuffing, and style. There are many ways in which Pie’s can be made. Here are some quick and easy recipes for some!

Creamy Pina Colada Pie — Ingredients:1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 can (10 ounces) frozen nonalcoholic pina colada mix, thawed 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained 2 graham cracker crusts (9 inches) Maraschino cherries, optional. In a large bowl, combine first 3 ingredients until smooth. Fold in coconut, nuts and pineapple. Divide and pour mixture into prepared crusts. Refrigerate, covered, until firm, at least 4 hours. If desired, serve with additional whipped topping and cherries.

French Silk Pie — Cut pie crust in half. Repackage and refrigerate 1 half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edge. Line crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake until crust is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Ingredients: 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust 2/3 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup butter, softened 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar Optional: Whipped cream and chocolate curl.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie — Make the crust. Combine the flour, salt and butter in a large bowl. Gently cut the butter into the flour using 2 sharp knives in a crisscross motion until the butter is about the size of small peas. (The lighter the hand, the flakier the crust.) Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup ice water and fold into the mixture with a fork until the dough comes together-you want to work the dough as little as possible. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too dry. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 balls. Form each into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the rhubarb and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Hull the strawberries and slice. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss. Prepare the bottom crust. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the dough into the plate with your fingers. Add the strawberry-rhubarb filling. Do not trim the overhanging dough. Make the lattice. Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. With an old-fashioned crimper, sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Lay about half of the strips on the pie in one direction, about 1/2 inch apart. Fold back every other strip halfway. Lay a strip perpendicular to the first ones. Unfold the strips back over the new strip, then fold alternate strips back halfway. Add another perpendicular strip; unfold the strips back over it. Repeat to form a lattice. Pinch the overhanging top and bottom crusts together, trimming as needed, then fold the dough under itself and crimp with your fingers. Bake the pie. Using your fingers, pat the lattice top with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Put the pie on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 50 more minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

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About the Contributor

Vanessa Hernandez, Reporter

Vanessa is a senior and is involved in the Academy of Health Sciences. She’s a first-year staff member of The Orange & Green. She enjoys reading in her free time or listening to music. Vanessa is also involved in many clubs on campus; she enjoys trying new things to challenge herself. Vanessa is also a participant in Link Crew here at Porterville High.

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