Fruit pies. Banoffee Pie. Frozen Passion Fruit Pie

Pies for big and small eaters and, yes, yes, yes, you can make pie crust.

Happy Pi Day. And not unexpectedly, here are a few of my pie favorites from the past few years. It’s also my brother Paul’s birthday, so I’m actually spending the day baking him a version of the E. Jean Carroll birthday cake, but with a mango-lemon curd filling.

And in health news: Pie is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and emotional well-being.

And remember, if you don’t want to make a 9-inch pie, make a batch of dough, divide it half and make yourself two little 4- or 5-inch pies. Via Amazon, craft stores or a well-stocked supermarket, you can get yourself 4- or 5-inch aluminum foil pie pans for very little money. Or for 20 bucks you can get these four sweet ceramic pie pans that I have.

Bosco Logic: If it’s on the floor, it will have food it in for me.

Watch your inboxes for Guinness Treacle Tart and a St. Patrick’s Day soup. A click the “like” above to wish my brother Paul a happy day.

First things first with pie: The crust. The Great Mollie Katzen joined me early on, to show us all that making pie crust was something to embrace and not fear. Her recipe and thoughtful instructions are below.

Mind you, I’m not a judgemental person when it comes to baking. (My feelings on, say, Ted Cruz or pandering to dictators do, however, involve judgements.) If you want to buy an Oreo crust, or crush up some Chips Ahoy to make a clever crust for an ice cream pie, go for it. The point is that we eat pie and enjoy ourselves. Flakiness of crust (and self) will come. Often one before the other. Plus: scroll down for a special pic of Bosco T. Dog.

And now, some of my pie greatest hits. Let me know what you’re making.

Mollie Katzen and Her Never-Fear Pie Crust

Mango Peach Pie with Ginger Streusel

Say it: Yes, pie can!

Accept that as your mantra for those of you out there who are desperately afraid of making pie crust. If that sounds like you, you are not alone. Of all the comments I get, the most common is: “I’m scared to make pie crust.” Great home cooks I know who will shoot, pluck, brine, sous vide and deep fry an entire turkey with the ease of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich get agitated when I suggest they make a pie with me. Normally hyper-confident captains of industry, fearless civic leaders and ego-packed surgeon turn lily-livered when told to make a crust.

Mango Peach Pie with Ginger Streusel

Bannoffee Ice Cream Pie:

My banoffee pie is an ice cream pie. The graham cracker crust is lined in salted dark chocolate to provide some much-needed contrast from all the sweeeeeeet, then filled with caramel ice cream (I used Haagen Dazs’ dulce de leche), topped with thinly sliced bananas and caramel sauce. Plus a wee bit of whipped cream to gussy it up.

Pi Day Recipe: Banoffee Ice Cream Pie

Apple-Raspberry Pie

I search inside my fruit crisper bin turned up a strange collection of apples, and I thought a spring clean out was in order. Raspberries were added for brightness and because apple-raspberry crumble reminds me of being at my in-law’s in England and that’s, yes, a nice thing. My in-laws are lovely

An Apple-Raspberry Crumb Pie for Springtime

Frozen Passion Fruit Pie

A lush and creamy frozen pie that may make you forget key lime ever existed.

Bonus Recipe: Frozen Passion Fruit Pie

Bosco, showing off his rarely seen cream filling.

How will you celebrate Pi Day? Making pie? Eating pie? Rolling on the floor to get a realllly good back scritch? Either way, enjoy, and lmk in the comments.

Also, you don’t always have to do the pie-making. Share this post with a friend and ask them to make you some pie. Or give them a subscription to my substack, so they can keep you nicely fed. It’s the not-so-subtle hint of gifts that keeps on giving.