Pi Day 2015: Sam Adams Shares Their Secret Recipe For Boston Creme Pie

We're all pretty excited about Pi Day 2015. It's an event that has been a century in the making and everyone from bakers to academics to mathematicians are celebrating the 3/14/15. Samuel Adams brewers can't wait for Pi Day and came up with the perfect recipe for their take on a Boston cream pie. Not surprisingly, the secret ingredient is beer. If you really want to take advantage of the day, you should start baking at 9:26 and 53 seconds.

Believe it or not, beer goes quite well with pie. Jennifer Glanville, a Samuel Adams brewer, spoke to International Business Times about her favorite pies and beers. "The type of pie I’m craving really depends on the time of year. Pies are like seasonal beers to me, which reflect the ingredients and flavors of the season. In the spring I like a nice and rich peach pie which pairs perfectly with our Cold Snap ale. That has a variety of spices including hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, vanilla and Grains of Paradise, to name a few," Glanville said.

In regards to the Boston cream pie, the recipe calls for beer to help balance out the sweetness. Check out the recipe below.

Boston Lager Cream Pie (Makes 1 9-Inch Pie)

For the Pie

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cornstarch

¾ cup white sugar

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup Samuel Adams Boston Lager

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split

6 egg yolks

¾ cup white sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

For the Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream

½ lb. semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Prepare the Pie

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer, beat together oil, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, yolks, and vanilla until combined. Sift the dry mixture into the wet mixture and beat on high speed for two minutes. Remove and set aside.

Clean the mixing bowl, and add egg whites and cream of tartar. Whisk to soft peaks.

Pour yolk mixture over whites, and gently fold until combined. Pour batter in a greased 9-inch cake pan and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool.

For the Cream

In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil and remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.

Pour milk over eggs in small amounts, whisking vigorously, until mixture is well combined. Add cornstarch and whisk until no lumps remain.

Strain mix back into saucepan, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into separate bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally.

For the ganache

Place semi-sweet chips in a bowl. Bring cream to a boil and pour over chips.

Add Boston Lager and whisk until smooth.

Assembly

Cut pie in half, horizontally, so that you now have two equal-size circular pieces. Spread a liberal amount of pastry cream over one half, then place the second half of pie on top. Pour the ganache over the top piece until it evenly spreads and covers the pie. Allow it to set for 1 hour in the fridge, slice, and enjoy.