5 awesome pies for celebrating Pi Day

It’s not like anyone needs an excuse to eat pie. Filled with fruit, nuts or custard, pie is simply delicious anywhere and anytime.

But Pi Day — that March 14 salute to the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter — just screams out for pie.

After all, how often do you get a chance to blame math for your sweet, sweet calorie intake? It’s practically a homework assignment, for heaven’s sake.

So here’s a little inspiration, if you’re having trouble deciding which pie to make. Lemon meringue? Apple? Blueberry? Here you go…

Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie

Blueberry pie is photographed in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Wednesday, March 23, 2011. (Mark DuFrene/Staff) Mark DuFrene/Bay Area News Group

One of our favorite pies ever, this Martha Stewart recipe absolutely brims with ripe blueberries and a lattice top crust sprinkled with crunchy sanding sugar. Best eaten when wearing a berry-colored shirt, not a white one — or it’ll be a formerly-white, now berry-spattered shirt. Here’s how to make this beautiful thing.

Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Luscious Apple Pie

All this apple pie needs is a scoop of ice cream. (Mark DuFrene/Bay Area News Group)

The author of the iconic “The Baking Bible” has never steered us wrong, and this luscious pie with its flaky cream cheese pastry crust and filling of tender apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg and cider syrup, is a winner. Top it with a simple top crust or go all out with a lattice, either way it will be delicious. You’ll find the recipe here.

Square Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a classic, but in the hands of Kate McDermott, author of “Art of the Pie,” the traditional treat gets a little new wave flair. (Photo credit: Andrew Scrivani)

No pie tin? No problem. You can make pie in anything, including an 8-inch square pan. No matter what pan you use, this pie designed by Kate McDermott, author of “Art of the Pie,” is incredible, with pecans, bourbon and maple syrup to amp up the flavors. Just be aware that nuts spoil, so if you picked up that package of pecans last Thanksgiving, please buy a fresh batch for this perfect recipe. (Psst, best served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Gingersnap crust, pumpkin pie and cheesecake blend beautifully in this pumpkin cheesecake pie. (Courtesy King Arthur Baking Company)

Trust the pros at King Arthur Baking Co. to settle the eternal Thanksgiving conundrum — pumpkin pie or cheesecake? The answer, of course, is both.

In this recipe, the two classic desserts are layered atop a gingersnap crust. You don’t even have to roll out pastry. Just crumble those cookies, mix with melted butter, a little flour and some dried ginger, then press the mixture into the pan. Here’s the how to: King Arthur Baking’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie recipe.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Flaky pastry, a tart lemon filling and clouds of sweet meringue make this lemon meringue pie a winner. (Getty Images)

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This meringue-topped pie recipe isn’t just tried and true, it was a county fair blue-ribbon winner two years running for one Oregon baker. The recipe hails from Liza Gershman’s cookbook, “County Fair: Nostalgic Blue Ribbon Recipes from America’s Small Towns,” which showcased desserts from all 50 states. Enjoy.