Pi Day is really soon. Math is cool and all, but your time could be much better spent eating dessert than memorizing digits. In fact, I think Pi Day should officially be renamed Pie Day, in honor of delicious pie. I have always been a believer in having favorites, and pie is no exception. The best pie is pecan pie, duh. Here’s the proof:
Firstly, a pecan pie is easier to make. Not only are there less ingredients than other pies, you don’t have to do any chopping! That’s right folks, you can just dump whole pecans into the filling. With fruit pies, you have to cut those pesky apples, and pit the annoying cherries. Dealing with pecans is so much easier, what can I say. You can even buy pre-halved ones to expedite the process. Pecan pie also takes less cooking time, meaning you can eat it sooner. I usually cook pecan pies for an hour, while an apple pie should be cooked for 75 minutes. An hour is significantly less than 75 minutes, so….pecan pie takes the win here.
Most people are fruit pie fans. I don’t understand the hype for a dessert with fruit whatsoever. I am a staunch believer that fruit is not dessert, and nuts should go in everything (except if you’re allergic, don’t die please). Fruit has a ton of sugar in it (fructose) while pecans are filled with potassium, magnesium, dietary fiber, and of course protein. Ok, fine, yes, they do have sugar, but not as much as fruit does! So, pecans are the healthier choice, and they make for a tastier result.
Another reason why I love pecan pie is because it follows my favorite adage: business on the top, party on the bottom. Upon first look at a glorious pecan pie, the glowing pecan halves are nicely lined up on top, creating a stunning presentation. When you take a deeper slice, you can see into the heart of the pie, the ooey gooey filling. The pecans are nice I guess, but in terms of appearance, they are merely decorative and demure, while the mixture underneath is the true star. That’s not to say that it should just be a brown sugar and corn syrup pie because the pecans are essential, but as demonstrated in my example, they are the business aspect, while the yumminess that lies beneath brings the party!
Next, we need to take a closer look at pie crust. Hot take: pie crust defines the potential of a pie. A good crust sets a mediocre pie apart, through taste and cool decorational aspects. The standard pie crust is made of dough. Though it is decent, for a star such as pecan pie the basics simply do not cut it! The only way to make pecan pie is with a graham cracker crust, as any pie-fessional would know (hahahaha punny). Let me further break down my point. Graham cracker crust, as the name suggests, is made out of graham crackers. Do you get it yet? Pie dough is kind of gross, graham crackers are amazing, so a pie with a crust made out of graham crackers will obviously have the advantage.
This may seem like I am just attacking fruit pie. To be fair, I am. But, these accusations are not baseless. Apple pie is pumpkin pie’s less bland, but more basic cousin. The best pie has a nice crunch, a gooey middle, a liquefied bottom (that might just be me cooking it wrong though), and pecans in it. Well…I suppose a pie could still be good without pecans. However, we can all agree that the inclusion of pecans would make it better.
In honor of pi day, I ask that you consider the best non-mathematical pie, pecan pie. They are really easy to make, pecans are healthier than fruit (and taste better), they are a prime example of business on the top and party on the bottom, and graham cracker crust (aka pecan pie crust) is far superior to dough crust. For all these reasons and more, celebrate Pi(e) Day with some pecan pie!
