Whoopie (Pie) -- January 23 is National Pie Day!

The holidays may be over, but for pie lovers everywhere there is another reason to celebrate! January 23rd marks National Pie Day and Crisco is serving up expert pie making advice, recipes and troubleshooting techniques to ensure homemade pie perfection on the Crisco Pie Hotline. Pie experts can be reached live Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET by calling 1-877-FOR PIE TIPS (877-367-7438) to answer some of the most common pie-baking questions.

Do you know how integral pie is to American culture – especially when it comes to popular phrases we don’t think twice about? In addition to pie recipes and tips, Crisco is serving up some tidbits of pie history:

· Before pie was America’s favorite dessert, fruit pies were commonly eaten as part of breakfast in the 19th century.
· The term, “as American as apple pie” traces back to 14th century England. The Pilgrims brought their pie-making skills, along with the apple seeds to America. As the popularity of apple pie spread throughout the nation, the phrase grew to symbolize American prosperity.
· The term “upper crust” refers to early America when the economy was difficult and supplies were hard to come by. Only affluent households could afford ingredients for both the upper and lower crusts of a pie; thus, the term “upper crust” was born.

Aspiring pie pros and kitchen connoisseurs can also visit Pie Central at Crisco.com for recipes, visual demonstrations and helpful hints.