It might seem like pie in the sky to have a day dedicated to eating that fantastic food. But dreams do come true: Jan. 23 is National Pie Day.

That’s not a bad joke, like a pie in the face. It’s true!

On this day, we’re encouraged to eat pie for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for snacks, for pick-me-ups — whatever strikes your fancy. We’re celebrating one of the most fun and festive holidays of the year, so why not do it in style?

WATCH: Mary Bilyeu demonstrates how to bake an easy-to-make skillet apple pie

There has been some confusion about the precise date of Pie Day, so let’s clarify: Jan. 23 is National Pie Day, while March 14 — or 3.14 — is Pi Day, a celebration for fans of both fractions and food.

On both days, you get to eat pie. What’s not to love?

In honor of this auspicious occasion, we’re offering three varieties to enjoy: individually portioned hand pies that make good use of a convenient prepared pastry, a no-bake pie with a cookie crumb base, and a pie baked in a skillet that takes advantage of a pre-made crust. No mixing of flour and fat, no ice water, no crumbly or gooey mess if there are problems with the consistency of the crust. (This part of the pie is intimidating to many people, after all).

These recipes are, truly, as easy as pie.

Chicken and Ham Hand Pies are gorgeous in all their rustic charm, a savory sensation in contrast to the sweet varieties. Simply sauté aromatic leeks and mushrooms, stir them into a simple cream sauce, add the meats, and use this mixture to fill puff pastry rectangles that will bake to a beautiful, burnished brown. Delicate and flaky, this casing is everything you seek in a pie crust.

Banana Rum Caramel Coconut Pie is a decadently delicious no-bake wonder featuring layers of crunchiness contrasting with creaminess. It may seem, from the elements listed in the name, that you’ll have a lot to do. But the only real work involved (if you can even call it that) is stirring the custard filling. The rest involves blitzing cookies into crumbs, slicing bananas, and drizzling prepared caramel sauce. Oh, and dolloping whipped cream onto slices of this sublime treat before serving, to make it even more indulgent.

And finally, Easy Skillet Apple Pie is an American classic, made practically effortless by cooking up the apples on the stove top to make sure they’re tender, then topping them with a commercially prepared, refrigerated pie crust before baking. While the most difficult part of this might seem to be the peeling and cutting of the apples, which is not a particularly laborious chore, the really tough part is waiting for your dessert to cool a bit before you can top it with ice cream and devour it. (We don’t want anyone searing their taste buds.)

So don’t miss your chance to get a piece of the pie. Be sure to celebrate National Pie Day, the food holiday that’s — of course — as sweet as pie.

Chicken and Ham Hand Pies

FILLING:

2 small leeks, trimmed, rinsed, sliced thin

3 ounces mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1¼ cups milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ pound cooked chicken, finely chopped

½ pound cooked ham, finely chopped

PASTRY:

3 sheets puff pastry dough (1½ 17.3-ounce packages)

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon water

Poppy seeds

Make the filling: Sauté the leeks with the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until tender. Set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the hot milk, whisking continuously, until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Season well. Add the leek mixture and its juices, the chicken, and the ham. Cover and cool completely.

Prepare the pies: Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut each sheet of puff pastry dough into six equal rectangles (down the two fold lines and across the length of the pastry sheet), for a total of 18. One by one, roll the portions of pastry until they measure 4 by 6 inches.

Place half of the rectangles onto the prepared baking sheets. Place about 1/3 cup filling onto the center of each rectangle.

Mix the eggs and the water; use this to brush around the edges of each dough portion on the baking sheets, around the filling. Take the remaining rectangles and place them over the filling. Use a fork to press the edges together, sealing the pies. Brush each pie generously with the egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cut a small slit into the top of each pie, to let steam escape.

Bake the pies for 15 minutes, then switch their positions in the oven. Continue baking until the pastry is a deep golden brown on both the top and the bottom, and the filling is just starting to bubble, about 10 more minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Yield: 9 pies

Source: Adapted from Nuala Cullen, The Best of Irish Country Cooking

 

Banana Rum Caramel Coconut Pie

RUM PASTRY CREAM:

4 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 14-ounce can light coconut milk

¼ cup dark rum or rum with coconut liqueur

1 teaspoon coconut extract (if using dark rum)

CRUST:

7 ounces pecan shortbread cookies (i.e.: Pecan Sandies)

4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

PIE:

4 bananas

¼ cup caramel sauce, plus more for garnish

¼ cup coconut chips, toasted

Whipped cream, for serving

Make the rum pastry cream: Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl with a small pinch of salt. Whisk the yolks for a minute or so until they are smooth. Set the mixture aside.

Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and mix together with a whisk. Mix the coconut milk and rum/liqueur (or rum plus extract) together.

With a whisk in hand, turn the heat to medium under the saucepan and slowly and steadily pour the coconut-rum milk into the dry ingredients while whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and you see it begin to bubble.

Remove the mixture from the heat momentarily and pour 1/3 of the hot mixture into the eggs in the bowl. Whisk together in the bowl until it looks blended in. This will temper the eggs.

Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and return it to the stove top. Turn the heat back to medium and whisk the mixture constantly until you bring it to a boil. It wil be thick and coat the back of a spoon. Remove it from the heat.

Using a spatula, turn the hot mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming as it cools. Cool completely in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Make the crust: Place the whole cookies in a food processor with a metal blade and process the cookies until they are the size of coarse salt. You can also place them in a zipped plastic freezer bag and roll with a pin until they are crumbs.

Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan, add the melted butter, and mix well with a fork. Spread the mixture evenly into your pie plate, up the sides and across the bottom, leaving no gaps. Place the crust into the refrigerator to chill while the filling chills.

To finish the pie: Remove the crust and the pastry cream from the refrigerator.

Slice the bananas and fit them tightly into the bottom of the pie shell, creating a double layer. Drizzle the 1/4 cup caramel sauce over the bananas.

Lightly whisk the pastry cream and, using a spatula, spread it evenly over the bananas. Before serving, drizzle the pie with a bit more caramel sauce, if desired. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut chips.

Place a dollop of whipped cream onto each slice, when serving.

Yield: 1 9-inch pie

Source: Adapted from Kate McDermott, Art of the Pie

 

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

6 large apples (Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith, MacIntosh, or a mix)

8 tablespoons butter, cubed

1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 tablespoons apple pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves)

¼ cup flour

1 prepared, refrigerated 9-inch pie crust

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Quarter, core, and peel the apples; cut them into quarter-size chunks and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the apples. Sauté them until they are a bit cooked through, for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with the 1 cup of sugar, apple pie spice, and flour; mix together and continue to cook the apples until the fruit is just tender and the mixture has thickened.

While the apples are cooking, unroll the pie crust and use a fork or a knife to poke holes in the top for steam to escape.

Place the pie crust carefully over the top of the apples (remember that the skillet is very hot), crimping the edges to fit. Brush the pie crust with a mixture of the egg and water, then sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Place the skillet onto a baking sheet, to catch drips, and bake the pie for 30 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes, so it’s not too hot to eat. Top each serving with ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Source: Adapted from Megan Keno, Cast Iron Gourmet

Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-6155 or mbilyeu@theblade.com, and follow her at facebook.com/thebladefoodpage.

First Published January 22, 2018, 4:59 p.m.