Pi Day Pie!

Tomorrow is March 14.

That means it’s 3.14.

3.14 = pi (π)

Pi = Pie.

So it’s Pi/Pie day!

Last week, I decided I’d crowdsource the most popular flavour of pie, and make that. Well, I got over 70 responses to my question “What’s your favourite kind of pie?”

The number one response? Strawberry-Rhubarb, followed closely by apple, and lemon meringue. Pumpkin, pecan and coconut also did pretty well.

So… Ladies and Gentlemen… here is your Pi Day Pie.

The basis of the recipe came from a recommendation from my friend Laurel. This Meyer Lemon Tart recipe completely rocked my world. It’s exactly the right balance of tart and sweet. It’s important to use Meyer lemons here, because they are not as acidic as regular lemons. I was also pretty concerned about putting an entire lemon in my blender–peel, pith and all, but it worked just fine.

Now, this recipe didn’t come with any kind of topping, and I felt like it wasn’t really a pie without a cream, meringue or crumble/crust topping. So, inspired by something I’d seen recently, I made a marshmallow meringue and bruleed it. Oh, yeah, baby!!

If you are not the baking type, here are your top 3 best options for tasty, tasty pie in Vancouver:

1. The Savary Island Pie Company
2. Aphrodite’s (they also have gluten-free options)
3. The Pie Hole

Pi Day Pie: Meyer Lemon Meringue

Ingredients:

• Your favourite pastry pie shell, or you can make it from scratch

For the pie filling:

• 1 large meyer lemon cut into 8 pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs

For the meringue:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• pinch of cream of tartar

Method:

1. Take all of the pie filling ingredients and place them in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour the filling into your pie shell, and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until set in the middle. The pie will set up more as it cools.
3. For the meringue: separate your eggs, and reserve the yolks for another use. Place the eggs, sugar and creme of tartar in a bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (you could also do this in a stand mixer if you have one). This process will take about 15 minutes.
4. After the meringue is firm, spread or pipe it onto your lemon base. Return to the oven to toast the meringue, or use a brulee torch to finish.