3.14 or ‘pi’ is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, used in trigonometry and geometry formulas. Lucky for us, 3.14 is also representative of March 14 – the perfect day to celebrate pie! Pi Day became a national event in 2009, officially recognized by the House of Representatives through Resolution 224.

We believe in pie for any day, every day, and we’re thrilled to have the world join us March 14! Lexi’s Kitchen will be rolling out their beautiful, fantastic pies as always. This month they’ll be making tart and creamy Key Lime, their perfect Cherry Pie, Blueberry Pie and the pretzel-crusted Peanut Butter Pie with chocolate whipped cream.

Celebrate by baking at home with some of our favorite pie recipes from Lexi and around the web.

DIY Pie

Sweet

• Key Lime Pie  Feel free to use regular lime juice here.
• Sweet Potato Upside Down Pie  Crust free with a beautiful pecan top!
• Lexi’s classic cherry and apple pie recipes below!

Savory

• Green Enchilada Pie  Dinner pie! Two birds, one stone. 
• French Leek Pie with Gruyere Cheese  Dinner, breakfast, lunch. 
• Asparagus and Bell Pepper Quiche  Celebrate early with Sunday brunch!
• Pot pie! Chicken, beef and white bean recipes here.

Lexi’s Apple Pie  

Yield: one 9 inch pie

• 1 recipe double crust pie dough, or two roll out frozen pie crusts
• 8 cups (8 med) tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons butter

Egg wash or milk for brushing crust

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Roll 1/2 of pie crust into a 10″ circle. Lay pastry onto pie plate, and press into shell. Trim excess and add to remaining dough.
2.  Mix apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pile evenly into pastry shell. Dot the apples with small pieces of cold butter.
3. Roll rest of dough into 10-11 inch circle. Gently lay crust over top of apples. Excess dough on the edges of the top and bottom crust will be touching. Fold the edges towards the middle of the pie and pinch to create a sealed edge. Cut decorative slits to let out steam. Brush with milk or egg wash and sugar.
4. Bake 55-60 minutes, until deep golden brown, and apple juice just begins to bubble through.

Lexi’s Cherry Pie  

Yield: one 9 inch pie

• 1 recipe double crust pie dough, or two roll out frozen pie crusts
• 4 cups  frozen/fresh pitted cherries, preferably a mix of tart and sweet
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup tart cherry juice (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Egg wash or milk for brushing edge

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place cherries, vanilla, and cherry juice in thick bottomed pot and place over heat. After the cherries lose considerable juice (5-10 min), remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, stir the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour into hot cherries, mix well. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If filling is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, add cornstarch in 1 teaspoon increments until it reaches desired consistency.
3. Roll half of your pie dough into a 10″ round. Lay crust into a 9″ pie plate and pour filling into shell. Set aside.
4. Roll remainder of dough into a 7- 8 inch square and cut into 7 strips, about 1″ thick.
5. Use strips to make a lattice top on the pie with an over-and-under pattern, and crimp the edges. See Lexi’s lattice technique here.
6. Brush with egg wash or milk (optional) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling just starts to bubble, about 45-55 minutes .