Pi Day...times two

I have talked before about my love of being a crazy teacher with all kinds of crazy math and science related holiday celebrations in my classroom. It's a way to take what they are learning and jazz it up a little. Today is Pi day. Pi is 3.14 and March 14th of every year is the happiest day of the year for math teachers. Without pi, we would not know how to calculate the circumference of circular objects.Well, we could...but it would be much tougher. See? You need pi...and pie too!

However, my kids could care less about the importance of the number and its meaning. They're teenagers, what more can I say? They want to know how that number effects them. Add some food at the end of an activity and you're set. I had always planned on making these pies. That was far before finding out that some of the students had given up chocolate for the forty days of Lent. Forced to come up with an alternate game plan, I found these as a wonderful alternative to a chocolate pie.

Peanut Butter Cup Mini Pies
Ingredients
1 homemade pie crust
1 pack Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups1 egg white whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Sugar, for sprinkling

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured counter top.  Using a cup (I prefer to use one of DJ's sippy cups), roll out rounds of dough. 

Place a Reese's miniature peanut cup in the center of the dough, upside down. Fold dough over top of peanut butter cup and seams together. 

Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake for 20-28 minutes until golden.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 

Source: adapted from Picky Palate
 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies

1 roll homemade pie crust

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup Smucker’s Strawberry Preserves

1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Sugar Crystals for sprinkling, optional

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface.  Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out circles in dough. I like to use one of DJ's sippy cups or the top of a mason jar. Lightly press dough rounds into greased mini muffin tin.  Roll remaining scraps of dough to an even thickness then use a sharp knife to cut thin 1/8 inch strips to create the lattice topping.  Set aside.

Mix peanut butter and sugar until combined. Drop a heaping teaspoon into each of the pie crusts.  Repeat with the jam. Using the pie strips, form the lattice top. Remove excess dough from edges with knife. Brush tops lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar crystals if wanted, and bake for 25-30 minutes or golden brown.

Let cool for five minutes and carefully remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Source: Picky Palate