Pi Day The official web site for Pi Day, March 14th 
Apache
This is the pie dough I like to use with it. It is an Italian Sweet Dough called Pasta Frolla. It is more cake like and because of the sugar and egg, is always tender. The baking powder's foaming action makes sure that the bottom crust is always well done. You can reroll it with out it toughening up too. This is for a two crust pie:
2 1/2 cups bleached all purpose flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick in the US)
2 large eggs
I use a food processor to make the dough.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in the processor bowl that has a metal blade. pulse 3 times at 1 second intervals to mix.
Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to bowl. Pulse at 1 second intervals until the mixture is fine and powdery similar to corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain. This should take about 15 pulses.
Add the eggs to the bowl and pulse 10 times or so until the dough forms a ball. scatter flour on your work surface and scrape the dough on to it. Press and knead the dough 3 or 4 times until it is smooth and uniform. If the dough is to dry add a teaspoon or two of cold water to the dough.
Press the dough into 2 equal disks. Sandwich the disks between two pieces of plastic wrap and press each into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate at least an hour or until you are ready to use. Sometimes I make the dough a day ahead.
If you want to make a chocolate crust for the Raspberry Pie add 4 tablespoons of sifted non-alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing the butter.
When ready roll out the bottom crust and put into pan add the filling and roll out the top crust a cover. Cut any designs you want into the top or I like to cut out leaves with the extra dough trimmings. I then cut veins into the leaves. I like to use 9 inch glass pie pans.
Filling
4 cups of Raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons Butter
Egg Wash: 1 Egg well beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar for finishing the top of the pie
Combine 1 cup of berries with the sugar in a nonreactive sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is is very liquid (about 5 minutes). Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk the Raspberry and sugar mixture into it. Return to the pan and cook stirring constantly over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens and comes clear. Pour into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients except the raspberries. Then add the raspberries, gently mix and allow to cool.
Set your rack at the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 F (205 C).
After rolling out the bottom crust, arrange it in the pan and poor the cooled mixture into it. Cover with the top crust, cut four slits equally around the pie, and flute the edges. Brush with the egg wash and then sprinkle the sugar on top of the crust.
Put the pie into the oven, on the lower rack, and reduce the temperature to 375F (190C). Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the crust is baked through and is a deep golden brown with the filling gently bubbling. If the top crust is not sufficiently colored move the pie to the upper rack for the last 10 minutes. I use Aluminum Foil to cover the edges if they start to brown to much.
Also, depending on how sweet the berries are you may need more sugar. If they are less sweet make the sugar 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Conversion Calculators | DianasDesserts.com
I use this site for conversions but, there are a lot of others.
2 1/2 cups bleached all purpose flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick in the US)
2 large eggs
I use a food processor to make the dough.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in the processor bowl that has a metal blade. pulse 3 times at 1 second intervals to mix.
Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to bowl. Pulse at 1 second intervals until the mixture is fine and powdery similar to corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain. This should take about 15 pulses.
Add the eggs to the bowl and pulse 10 times or so until the dough forms a ball. scatter flour on your work surface and scrape the dough on to it. Press and knead the dough 3 or 4 times until it is smooth and uniform. If the dough is to dry add a teaspoon or two of cold water to the dough.
Press the dough into 2 equal disks. Sandwich the disks between two pieces of plastic wrap and press each into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate at least an hour or until you are ready to use. Sometimes I make the dough a day ahead.
If you want to make a chocolate crust for the Raspberry Pie add 4 tablespoons of sifted non-alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing the butter.
When ready roll out the bottom crust and put into pan add the filling and roll out the top crust a cover. Cut any designs you want into the top or I like to cut out leaves with the extra dough trimmings. I then cut veins into the leaves. I like to use 9 inch glass pie pans.
Filling
4 cups of Raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons Butter
Egg Wash: 1 Egg well beaten with a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar for finishing the top of the pie
Combine 1 cup of berries with the sugar in a nonreactive sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is is very liquid (about 5 minutes). Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk the Raspberry and sugar mixture into it. Return to the pan and cook stirring constantly over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens and comes clear. Pour into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients except the raspberries. Then add the raspberries, gently mix and allow to cool.
Set your rack at the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 F (205 C).
After rolling out the bottom crust, arrange it in the pan and poor the cooled mixture into it. Cover with the top crust, cut four slits equally around the pie, and flute the edges. Brush with the egg wash and then sprinkle the sugar on top of the crust.
Put the pie into the oven, on the lower rack, and reduce the temperature to 375F (190C). Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the crust is baked through and is a deep golden brown with the filling gently bubbling. If the top crust is not sufficiently colored move the pie to the upper rack for the last 10 minutes. I use Aluminum Foil to cover the edges if they start to brown to much.
Also, depending on how sweet the berries are you may need more sugar. If they are less sweet make the sugar 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Conversion Calculators | DianasDesserts.com
I use this site for conversions but, there are a lot of others.
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