Pie for Valentine's Day

Do you have a favorite meal or dessert for the upcoming holiday. You know what holiday I am talking about. Valentine’s day of course! Did you know that Valentine’s Day is literally less than 2 weeks away? No, I am not kidding. As of the date of this posting, it is happening in just 14 days. I am a bit of a chocolate junkie so that has always been my go-to, but because I’m adult and I don’t hate trying new things (can you sense that I do, in fact, hate trying new things?) I decided that it was time to do something other than chocolate for Valentine’s day. As a matter of fact, my husband and daughter don’t even like chocolate and the poor things always just deal with it because that’s what I want (isn’t my family great?).

I always take the time to make a nice dinner for my husband and I for Valentine’s day and already plan to do so (check out this post to read all about it), but I want to add a little extra something to that dinner with a nice dessert. I also want to treat my kids to a yummy, special Valentine’s dessert. So, what’s a girl to do for a Valentine’s day switch up? Well, my friends, I am going to be baking some pies. That’s right. I’m taking it back a bit to the good old days of baking. Let’s face it, I’m simply too busy to do too much baking during my regular everyday schedule. Between the house, the kids, my husband and my work, I’m lucky I don’t drive through the drive through every night for dinner, let alone take the time to make a yummy homemade dessert.

Let’s take a step back for a minute, can we? Did you know that the earliest history of pie was in the 5th century BC and that they were invented by the Ancient Greeks. I mean, if the Ancient Greeks can bake a pie without all of the conveniences of today, than I am slacking and will sure as heck be baking the best pies ever for my honey this Valentine’s day! Want to join me?

First and foremost, I feel the need to remind everyone that the right tools can make all the difference in your pie baking experience so be sure that you grab some of my favorite Sassafrass tools that will help you become the kick-butt pie baker that I know you can be:

superstone® deep dish pizza/pie baker - our superstone® pizza/pie baker absorbs moisture, creating a delicious, crispy crust. pizza crusts are crustier and pie crusts are lighter and flakier. terrific for deep dish pizza, breads, quiches or pies. to clean, simply scrub under hot water -- do not use soap. measures 11" diameter x 1.5" deep. includes recipes.

pizza spatula - slice and remove even the trickiest piece of pizza or pie using our stainless pizza spatula with a serrated edge. comfortable silicone handle, measures: 11" long x 2.25" wide, dishwasher-safe (okay, yes it says “pizza spatula”, but this works great for pie! A knife just won’t cut it and a regular spatula is just too big.

wood-handle offset spatula - stainless steel wedge-shaped blade perfect for easy lifting. comfortable beechwood handle for all of your pizza and pie serving needs. dishwasher safe, measures: 10.25" long x 2.25" wide, dishwasher safe.

Now to figure out what pies to make? There are just so many options!! Because we often celebrate Valentine’s day with our kids too, I am thinking I will be making each person their own favorite pie! (Yes, that might be a little overkill, but I rarely go all out and make pies, so I’m doing it for this!)

First of all, we cannot have the perfect pie without the perfect crust! Here is a collection of some of the best homemade pie crusts that you can try out!

Chocolate Pie - Okay, well, I’m not ditching the chocolate all together, my friends! I love this Hershey’s Chocolate Pudding pie that my friend Marci at MyHeavenlyRecipes created. It’s so good!

Raspberry or Strawberry Pie - Okay, there are just too many recipes out there to really narrow it down, but I did spot this list of 40 pie recipes and I’m not gonna lie, they all look good.

Imagine what your honey will think when you surprise them with a delicious dinner fit for a paris or (insert your romantic city of choice here) date and then top it off with a freshly baked, all homemade pie. Serve it a la mode or as is, it really doesn’t matter. Pie is delicious regardless!

So, make your pie, have your pie and eat it too! It might just be your best Valentine’s Day yet!