It's National Pie Day!

I love pie. I love eating it, baking it, talking about it, and now, writing about it. I love pie so much that I have dozens of photographs of all the pies I've loved before from travels and my own kitchen. Recently, I happily discovered that January 23rd is National Pie Day. In the interest of helping everyone properly celebrate, I searched for the very best pies in our area, a more difficult task then I expected. I also included a couple of simple recipes if you want to bake your own pies - always my number one choice.

Buying a Pie

Pie is a fickle thing. It's either really good or really bad. If you're one of those people shaking your head right now thinking, 'Yuck, pie,' than I'm betting you have never eaten a really good homemade or bakery pie. Maybe you've suffered for years eating depressing store bought pies that are never (ever) worth the calories.

One of the obvious choices for a local fresh pie is in Middlefield. They are the king of pies in our area and their apple pie has won countless awards over the years. Yes, they are fabulous, and thank you to them, but since everyone already knows about Lymans, the original plan was to focus on the more esoteric pie gems out there. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I should share that my first job ever was as a cashier at their Apple Barrel Farm Store when I was in high school.

As it turns out, with the exception of Lyman's, it's really freakin' hard to find fresh bakery pie in our area. This past week I went to DeLovelies, South Side Market & Catering, and Fusion in Middletown, and and in Durham and there was no pie to be had. If I had been researching for National Cake, Cookie, Muffin, or Cupcake Day I would have been fine. But no, pie is what I was after. A few places offered to bake them special order, and the folks at Fusion told me to try back on a weekend, but I was looking for a good pie that could be had whenever the urge struck.

After all that driving around (thanks, Yiayia, for watching the kids!), I was a tad overly excited when I finally found real fresh bakery pie at.....(drumroll).... Neil's Donuts in Wallingford!  It looks like a little hole in the wall, and I already knew it for its awesome donuts, but I was thrilled to discover that they are a reliable source for delicious pie.

Upon advice from the good people at Neil's, I picked a lemon chocolate pie and a glazed-top apple pie and brought them to a Mom's Night Out that evening for tasting. The apple pie was a classic; a gooey spicy apple filling with a flaky glazed crust. The lemon chocolate pie was a new flavor for me, but it was surprisingly good consisting of a traditional lemon curd topped with a generous layer of chocolate ganache. Both got rave reviews, and one mom even said that the lemon chocolate pie was as good as the one from a bakery in New Haven famous for that flavor. Other flavors usually available are cherry, apple crumb, and blueberry, and, at a little over $10 per pie, I think it's a good deal, and a fine way to celebrate National Pie Day.

Did I miss your favorite local pie? Spread the good word and share it in the comments section.

Baking a pie

If you made it this far in the article, there's a good chance you're really into pie, or perhaps you're interested in getting to know pie better. My friend, there is no better way to experience really good pie than to eat a homemade one. Below are two recipes and directions for very simple but scrumptious homemade pies that will impress the eyes and delight the palate.

The trick to quickly and easily baking your own pie is buying pre-made pie crust. It can be found in the refrigerated section of any grocery store near the yogurts and cheeses. Either the brand-name or generic will work just fine. You unroll your pre-made pie crust, pour in your filling, pop it in the oven, and you can be celebrating National Pie Day within the hour. And no, you do not have to tell anyone that you bought the crust.

Try them out and let me know how it goes!

Bacon, Cheddar, and Broccoli Quiche

Quiche is very forgiving and a great way to use up little bits of this and that. You can switch the amounts and types of fillings to please your family's tastes without a problem. You can also choose an entirely different type of cheese--camembert, gruyere, whatever is your favorite--and it'll be completely yummy. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1 pre-made pie crust, warmed to room temperature for fifteen minutes
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk (anything but fat-free works fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped broccoli, cooked or raw depending on whether you like it crunchy or tender

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the pie crust into your pie plate following the manufacturer's directions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix in the cheese, bacon, and broccoli. Pour it all into your pie plate and place in the oven in the middle rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the middle is set. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Great alongside a bagged salad.

Apple Galette

A galette is a French word for a free form pie that is baked on a cookie sheet instead of in a pie plate. Which is fabulous because you just used your pie plate to bake a quiche. It also looks super fancy and will impress all your friends. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 1 pre-made pie crust, warmed to room temperature for fifteen minutes
• 3 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into eighths
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, roughly chopped
• 1 egg (for glaze, optional)
• 1 teaspoon water (for glaze, optional)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for sprinkling, optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Peel, core, and slice your apples. Gently mix the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Unwrap your pie crust and spread it out on the cookie sheet. Don't be alarmed if the crust hangs over the edge a bit. Pour your apple filling mix onto the middle of the crust leaving at least a three inch margin all around. Sprinkle your chopped butter evenly on the filling. Fold one section of crust over the filling. Then fold the next section, and continue all the way around the galette as shown in the photograph. When you're done, your galette will be shaped like a hexagon and a small portion of filling will still be visible in the middle. If you'd like, you can make a glaze of one egg beaten with one teaspoon of water. Brush the glaze all over the top of the crust and then sprinkle evenly with one tablespoon of sugar. Place the galette on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the apples are just tender and the crust is golden brown. Allow the galette to rest for 30 minutes before serving.