“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” —Jane Austen
Time to quote the 44th President of the United States: “I like pie. You like pie too?” It’s Pi Day. Mathematicians are celebrating the constant pi—me and Rae, well we’re with Barak on this one—we’re honoring the scrumptious stuff. The only thing better than warm pie a la mode is having a good read to savor alongside it. Like Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. If we haven’t suggested The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society before now, we apologize for being flaky. Here’s one other that looks tempting to read sooner than later: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. Written for middle-schoolers, it earned the elusive 5 full stars from Amazon. One Kirkus reviewer said “the reader falls in love with the brothers, laughing and crying by turns and rooting for both of them until it almost hurts.” Count me in.
Should you find yourselves in need of a delicious pie recipe on the day we commemorate the concept of pi (or pie depending on your priorities), here’s a matchless Mississippi Mud Pie recipe. Be warned—it’s rich!
Mississippi Mud Pie
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup butter
3 large eggs
1 cup & 2 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
Pie shell of your own making or Marie Calendar’s shell if you have to purchase one
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees please
Melt chocolates with butter until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.
In bowl, whisk these ingredients together: eggs, sugar, corn syrup & vanilla
Whisk in the chocolate and pour into crust.
Bake in lower third part of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until filling puffs up and top is deeply cracked & slightly crisp.
Set pie on wire rack to cool.
Pie will sink, crack & get firm during cooling process.
If you want to go all out, top with fresh homemade whipped cream.