Celebrate Pi(e) Day with these Treats

March 14, or 3/14 is Pi Day.  PI is a mathematical constant, equal to approximately 3.14159. Get it? It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy pie and explore new recipes.

“It uses heavenly ingredients, and it is sinfully delicious.” — Sarah Zulauf

Sarah Zulauf’s strawberry-peach pie is gluten- and refined sugar-free. It’s also guilt-free! “I love this sweet and tangy strudel-style pie,” Zulauf told the Journal. “It uses heavenly ingredients, and it is sinfully delicious.”

Zulauf is the founder of Sarah’s Organic Gourmet; her delicious and healthy treats are available at Bibi’s Bakery and Cafe on W. Pico Blvd in Los Angeles. 

Strawberry-Peach Pie

Gluten- and Refined Sugar-Free 

Fruit Mixture
4 cups peaches
2 cups strawberries
4 Tbsp date sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Crust
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 stick of butter or Earth Balance vegan butter
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Fruit Mixture:
Chop fruit into bite-size pieces. Put in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix together and set aside.
Crust:
In a medium or large bowl, mix dry ingredients to a crumble consistency. Add egg and vanilla, and mix.
Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a pie pan. Pre bakePrebake in a 350-degree oven until light brown; about 10 – 15 minutes.
Pour fruit mixture into the pie crust. Then, top it with the remaining half of the crust mix, creating a strudel looking top. Bake for 15 minutes.
Serve hot with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or store in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it.

Samantha Ferraro grew up in Hawaii, and haupia (coconut in Hawaiian) is one of her favorite flavors, as well as being a popular treat.

Haupia is often served as a thick, Jello-like pudding that is cut into squares,” Ferraro, founder of The Little Ferraro Kitchen and author of the “The Weeknight Mediterranean Cookbook,” told the Journal.

For her Purple Sweet Potato Haupia Pie, Ferraro took a fun twist on sweet potato pie and added the sweet coconut flavor.

When you cut into the purple sweet potato pie, you’ll see the striking layers of the dark purple with the white haupia right on top,” she said. “Not only is it beautiful to look at, but just as delicious or as they say in Hawaii, ‘ono!’”

Purple Sweet Potato Haupia Pie

Yields 2 pies/16 servings

Pie Crust
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
2 ½ cups all- purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
6-8 Tbsp ice cold water

Purple Sweet Potato Layer
3 medium purple sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest optional
pinch of salt

Haupia Layer
1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (not light)
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
Topping
½ cup macadamia nuts finely chopped
½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F
Make the pie crust:
Add the flour, butter, salt and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times until the butter looks like small peas. With the motor running, slowly add the cold water, and pulse together until a ball of dough forms.
Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap, forming a smooth round disk. Place dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (or freezer for 10-15 minutes). This will be your crusts for both pies.
Make the sweet potato filling:
Boil purple sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are very soft. Then pour the water out and add potatoes to the (clean) food processor and pulse a few times to puree potatoes.
Add melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and flavorings. Process everything together until the mixture becomes a smooth creamy consistency. Set aside.
Roll out pie crust:
Once pie crust is chilled, roll out to about ½ an inch wider than the pie dish you’ll be using. Roll out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin and fit into a 9 inch pie dish. Crimp the edge of the pie into the desired pattern. Repeat with other dough if making 2 pies.
Bake sweet potato pie:
Pour sweet potato filling into pie shells and bake for 40-45 minutes. You will know the pie is done when the crust is lightly golden brown and you can insert a knife into the potato layer and it comes out clean. If the crust browns too fast, cover with foil and continue baking.
Cool pie to room temperature. Once the pie is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature for a few hours. Or place it in the fridge overnight.
Make the haupia layer:
Mix together the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside. Heat coconut milk and water in a small pot until warm and add the sugar and cornstarch mixture. Whisk together and continue whisking for 5-8 minutes until sugar dissolves and haupia becomes thick, almost the consistency of thick honey. Once ready, pour haupia over the sweet potato layer and top with chopped macadamia nuts and shredded coconut.
Allow the pie to set and chill for several hours, until the haupia layer is cool. Serve and enjoy.

Shaloha! (shalom + aloha)