Fort Worth Medical School Celebrates Pi Day

FORT WORTH — To celebrate Pi Day, the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine tested students’ knowledge of the mathematical constant π and provided faculty pie recipes on social media.   ‘

Our first-year medical students Leticia Rivera, Rebecca Sobolewski, Amber Broderick, and Toni Igbokidi participated in our Pi Day Challenge in which  they tried to recite as many of Pi’s infinite digits.  You can watch the students’ Pie Day Challenge here:

Our faculty members also provided some delicious pie recipes:

Thuthuy’s Favorite Apple Pie Recipe

Thuthuy Nguyen, M.D., physician development coach and assistant professor 

Ingredients: 

PIE DOUGH 

• 2 ½ cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 ½ sticks butter, 1 1/2 sticks, cold, cubed 
• 8 tablespoons ice water, or as needed 

FILLING 

• 2 ½ lb granny smith apple, cored, sliced, peeled 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons flour 

• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
• ½ lemon 
• 1 egg, beaten 

• 1 tablespoon sugar 

Directions 

• In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix with fork until combined. 
• Add in cubed butter and break up into flour with a fork. Mixture will still have lumps about the size of small peas. 

• Gradually add the ice water and continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. You may not need all of the water, but if the dough is too dry then add more. The dough should not be very tacky or sticky. 
• Work the dough together with your hands and turn out onto a surface. Work into a ball and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate. 
• Peel the apples, then core and slice. 
• In a bowl, add the sliced apples, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and juice from the lemon. 
• Mix until combined and all apples are coated. Refrigerate. 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C). 
• On a floured surface, cut the pie dough in half and roll out both halves until round and about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick. 
• Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll onto a pie dish making sure the dough reaches all edges. Trim extra if necessary. 
• Pour in apple filling mixture and pat down. 
• Roll the other half of the dough on top. 
• Trim the extra dough from the edges and pinch the edges to create a crimp. Make sure edges are sealed together. 
• Brush the pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar. 
• Cut four slits in the top of the pie to create a vent. 
• Bake pie for 50-60 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and no grayish or undercooked pastry remains. 
• Allow to cool completely before slicing. 

Nangia Family’s Mango Pie Recipe

Samir Nangia, M.D., physician development coach and assistant professor

INGREDIENTS 

1 Can Mango Pulp 

½ Pint Heavy Cream 

2 Packets of Unflavored Gelatin 

1 Cup Sugar 

8 Ounce Packet of Cream Cheese 

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence 

¼ Cup Warm Water 

2 Graham Cracker Pie Crusts 

DIRECTIONS 

1. Boil the heavy cream 

1. Mix the warm water with the gelatin and combine the two with the boiled heavy cream in a blender. 

1. Add cream cheese to the blender 

1. Add the sugar and the vanilla until everything is mixed well 

1. Slowly add the mango pulp until everything is blended well together 

1. Pour ½ of the mixture on each of the two pie crusts 

1. Allow the pies to sit for at least 7 hours in the fridge before serving 

(Serving with Vanilla Ice Cream is a great option!) 

Jennifer Coffman’s Pecan Pie Recipe  

Jennifer Coffman, M.D., physician development coach and assistant professor

This recipe is such a special family recipe. Pecan pie is a West Texas favorite. I made these pies every holiday with my mother. When I married my husband I was so pleased to find out that his Memaw’s recipe was the same. My husband’s family also has pecan trees and we would gather fresh pecans every year. So this recipe is so special because it is passed through both sides of our families. 

Ingredients: 

4 eggs 

1 cup Karo syrup 

1 cup sugar 

3 tbsp butter melted 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/8 tsp salt 

1 1/2 Cup of pecans (best if they are fresh pecans and chopped slightly)  

Start by beating the eggs in a mixer on low and add in one by one sugar, karo, butter, vanilla, salt  

then manually fold in the pecans.  Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. 

Here is the other secret….bake low and slow bake at 250 degrees for 1 hr and 20 min and then increase the temp to around 325 to brown for 10-15 minutes. You’ll know it is done with the center of the pie has a slight woble when shaken and edges are hard.