March 14.  3/14.  3.14.  π.

That’s right, this past week we celebrated National Pi Day.  And, how else, but by eating pie!  If you didn’t indulge, you missed out and you ought to mark your calendar immediately for next year!

I made an Apple Cranberry-Ribbon Pie that was a real crowd pleaser.  In my opinion, you can never go wrong with apple, and adding cranberry (which my loyal readers will know I LOVE) was a great twist (…or ribbon, as the case may be).

I’ve struggled with crusts for years now, largely because I don’t practice them enough, I’m sure.  This time I used Alton Brown’s recipe and it was definitely the best pie crust I’ve ever made.  Now I just need to work on prettying-up the edges.  You can use this link, or follow your own favorite recipe.  This pie has both a top and bottom crust, so be sure to double any single-crust recipes.

Apple Cranberry-Ribbon Pie
source: epicurious

1 ½ c plus 1 T sugar
½ c 100% cranberry juice
2 c fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)
2 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 ¾ lb Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
1 T cornstarch
1 t fresh lemon juice
½ t ground cinnamon
2 Butter Pie Crust Dough disks (use your own recipe or see above)
2 T butter, cut into ½ -inch cubes
1 t milk
Pinch of ground cinnamon

• Stir ¾ cup sugar and cranberry juice in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cranberries; bring to simmer. Reduce heat; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• Toss all apples, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¾ cup of sugar in a large bowl to blend.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch deep-dish glass pie dish, allowing for overhang on the edges.  Spread cranberry mixture over crust bottom. Top with apple mixture (it will be quite a mound); dot with butter.
• Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round; drape over apples. Press crust edges together to seal; crimp. Cut 1-inch hole or several slits in the center of the top crust. Brush crust with milk. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and pinch of cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over crust.
• Bake pie 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake until crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool at least 2 hours. Let stand at room temperature.  Serve warm or at room temperature (hopefully with vanilla ice cream!).

Serves: 8