Spring forward with Pi(e)
It was 64 degrees in the foothills outside of Seattle yesterday. I think spring has sprang or sprung … anyway, it’s here! Unless you live in the Northwest, you may not realize how much we anticipate the first few days of temperatures above 60 degrees. The fleece layer comes off and it’s time for much-welcomed short sleeves and bare ankles. I took one for the team and sat in my Adirondack chair on the front porch and soaked up a good-sized dose of vitamin D. The sunshine was just enough to remind us that yes, sunnier days lie ahead. In the early morning hours of today, March 14, we sprang forward for daylight savings and it’s also Pi Day. How convenient. The convergence of all three of these things definitely warrants some pie. To celebrate, I made my signature Candy Bar Pie, the one I take requests for and am known for in certain circles (you know who you are). And just because it was such a beautiful day, I made a vibrant spring green pizza pie for dinner.
What goes with that pie and sunshine? A mathematical constant of course. If Pi Day is not on your calendar of holidays, let me briefly explain. Founded in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, Pi Day is recognized by countries that follow the month/day date format. When 3/14 rolls around each year, the date lines up with the first three digits of π (3.14), so we comply, and eat pie. Math enthusiasts everywhere recite the infinite digits of pi (or maybe they just eat lots of pie).
Back to the tastier pie at hand. Let’s talk dessert first. This super simple Candy Bar Pie has been in my family since I was in grade school and typically makes an appearance around Easter and Christmas. I can still picture the pink booklet sent home from school with all the classroom mothers’ recipes in it – and my mom’s name was next to this pie. So proud. I’d always assumed it was “my mom’s recipe” until I asked her a few months ago. I traced it to my dad’s younger brother’s wife. She got the recipe from her mother and shared it with my mom, I’m guessing in the seventies. It looks like it originated with The Hershey Co., however I haven’t found my family’s version online.
Candy Bar Pie
Ingredients
½ cup whole milk
20 big marshmallows
6 Hershey Almond bars
2 cups heavy whipping cream (divided)
Baked pie shell
Directions
Add milk to small saucepan and heat on low. Melt marshmallows in the milk, stirring until dissolved. Break up five of the candy bars and add to the warm milk mixture. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. In the meantime, whip 1 cup cream and fold into cooled chocolate. Pour into shell and stir gently with a spoon to make sure the almonds are distributed. Believe me, you don’t want to be the one to get the slice of pie with no almonds. Place in the fridge to set. Before serving, whip the second cup of cream, adding a couple spoonfuls of sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mound the cream on top of the chilled pie. Take the 6th candy bar and chop it, grate it or make curls with your vegetable peeler and garnish the pie. Sit back and get ready for compliments.
Notes:
You can buy a 6-pack of Hershey Almond bars in the candy aisle at most grocery stores. Almonds make ALL the difference, so don’t even think about buying regular Hershey bars.
I made my pie crust using the master roll out pie dough recipe from Kate McDermott of Pie Camp fame and used my new pie weights to blind bake the crust. However, I’m here to tell you that apparently I have not yet perfected pie crust. Sigh. Anyhow, I’ve made this pie countless times with a Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust. In fact, I make Candy Bar Pie every Fourth of July while staying at the beach with friends, and so this shortcut is welcomed.
There’s no denying that this pie is pretty rich, so small slices are best. I actually feel like it’s better the next day and having a fork handy for sneaking a few bites throughout the day is permitted.
Spring Green Arugula and Pesto Pizza
I had the idea to make a bright green pizza for St. Patrick’s Day, but what the heck, the sunshine prompted me to make it earlier to celebrate springing forward. I typically use Pioneer Woman’s pizza crust recipe because it’s so easy and I’ve had good luck with it. It’s best to make the pizza dough a day in advance. The recipe makes two crusts, so pop one in the freezer. Or you can certainly use store-bought crust.
Ingredients*
1 pizza crust
Basil pesto (I halved this recipe, which is delicious, or you can use store-bought pesto.)
Mozzarella
Parmesan or Romano, grated using a microplane
Fresh mushrooms, sliced
2-3 slices of prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
Baby arugula
Lemon juice
Black pepper
*I didn’t include amounts but just use your judgment to figure out how much you need for the size of your crust. There’s no wrong answer. The half-pesto recipe I made was the perfect amount, but there’s nothing wrong with having leftover pesto.
Directions
Position your oven rack on the lowest level. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet and spread it around evenly. Then put the prepared dough in the center of pan and using your fingers start from the center and spread/push the dough toward the outside edges of pan, working your way around the pan. Be patient, it takes a while. Keep spreading until you get the desired thinness. I like a really thin crust.
Spread a thin layer of pesto over the crust, leaving about an inch border. Place thinly sliced fresh mozzarella or grated mozzarella over the crust, sparingly. Next, sprinkle the parmesan on. You don’t want the toppings to be too heavy for the thin crust. Sprinkle the mushrooms and torn prosciutto over the cheese.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Check a few minutes before to make sure it’s not getting too brown, but you want the crust crispy; plus it should lift off the pan easier that way.
Remove the pizza and immediately pile the arugula on top to your liking. Give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a good amount of black pepper. Drizzle remaining pesto over the pizza. It’s easiest to cut this with a large chef’s knife. Pizza Pie!
The beauty of this vibrant green pizza, besides the fact that it is truly tasty, is that you think you’re eating a salad — which means that mathematically, you have room for that Candy Bar Pie.
Happy Pi Day!