National Pie Day

What a grand day - National Pie Day (and some say March 14 should be National Pie Day - but why not have two?  One can never have too many pies.  There are so many pies.

An apple pie - oh so delicious - I think that is the pie I am going to bake today (since Don is bringing home some Granny Smith apples after work)

Chicken Pot Pie by Ina Garten - now how bad could that be?

And Frito Pie - oh my.  I love this portable idea - not sure hot tidy it would be - but looks good.

Grasshopper pie - which, by the way is not made with grasshoppers.  Although in the early 1900s you could get a REAL grasshopper pie in the Phillipines, full of real, honest to goodness crunchy grasshoppers.  I'll take my grasshopper pie with a cookie crust and mint flavoring, thankyewverymuch.

And Boston Cream Pie - neither from Boston - nor a pie - but delicious.  .  .

And on pinterest you can find funny pies .  .  .

Don't forget Shepherd's Pie - a good way to use up that leftover stew and leftover mashed potatoes.

In Bellingham there is a company named Man Pies - and Man, do they have good pies. They sell them at the Farmers' Market as well as at their store.  Fillings are dessert or meal pies - Don likes the vegetable and beef Man Pies.

MAN PIES  

Man Pies - ohhh good!!!

And I'll give you one recipe - the others you have to hunt up on your own.  This one looks like so much fun - hollow out apples - mix up the apple pie filling - put it back in the apple shells - add some lattice pie crust and bake - oh I think I'm in heaven.

Apple Pie baked in the Apple

Serves: 4

Ingredients
½ recipe  pie crust ( single layer)
6 medium Granny Smith Apples
1 teaspoon flour
½ teaspoon cloves (optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare and roll out your pie crust.
Wash apples and cut the tops of of four of them (do not peel). Hollow out the core and some of the apple to make an apple bowl.
Place in an 8×8 glass baking dish - spray first to avoid sticking
Peel, core and dice the other 2 apples and place in a small bowl.  Use some of the apple from the apple bowls if there is any.

Add next four ingredients to apple pieces and stir to mix
Spoon apple mixture into your apple bowls. Pack slightly and fill to the top.

Cut pastry strips about 4 inches by ½ inch.

Place 4 strips (or more if you like) of the pie crust onto each apple in a lattice pattern 

Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the pie crust lattice pattern on each apple.

Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar onto left over pie crust strips and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet.

Bake 30-40 minutes until crust is golden and apple is soft
.
Bake cinnamon sugar pie crust strips for 15 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before moving out of the dish ( they are soft and can break if you are not careful).
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Happy National Apple Day  -  what is your favorite pie?