This is how to make a geeky pie to celebrate Pi day with your pets (cats & dogs). It includes my favorite and most awesome recipes and how to make your own recipes! Who better to make a pie for then your pet best friend(s)! They will appreciate it more and love you the whole time you are baking! Here is the process I use to make them. These are really fun to make because my pet best friends have always been willing to eat the end results, whither burnt, ugly or unflavorful. They also love to "help" as taste testers and washing the dishes! Cannot say the same about my human best friends!

These pies only keep for a few days in the fridge, can freeze them for a few months. Defrost before giving to your pet.

These are Extreme Treats and take longer to make and have a lot more detail then most pet treat recipes.

Warning: leaving pies unattended may end up with no pies but very happy and full pets!

Disclaimer:
Only give one pie a day to cats and small dogs, they are quite big for them. The recipes given are a once in a while treat not a balanced self contained diet.

Step 1: Find Recipes

I searched online for cutout cookie (biscuit) type recipes for the crust and softer recipes for the filling. (Like Cat Jelly or Tuna Kitty Treats) Wet dog and cat food also works well as a filling. I have also used "human" pie recipes just left out the sugar or added a little flour instead. If you pick a recipe that is too wet and gooey make mini muffin treats with it instead. If you make up a recipe yourself make sure the ingredients are pet safe.

Cat Pie Dough (makes 12 mini pies)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1 teaspoon catnip
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 egg
1/3 cup water or catnip tea
1 tablespoon un-sulfured molasses
2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
Mix wet ingredients together, mix dry ingredients together. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
Roll out put into muffin pan, cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, add filling.
Cook again if needed or if top crust is added cook another 20 minutes.

Dog Pie Dough (makes 12 mini pies)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup peanut butter (all-natural)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 large egg
Mix ingredients together.
Roll out put into muffin pan, cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, add filling.
Cook again if needed or if top crust is added cook another 20 minutes.

Cat Filling
1/2 cup water
1 4oz can of Tuna
1/4 cup shred carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons flour
Mix water, tuna, carrots together in small bowl with fork.
Cook in Microwave for 1 minute.
Add flour, stir well
Cook in Microwave 10-20 seconds until starting to thicken
Fill pies

Pumpkin Pie filling:
1 can pumpkin
Fill pies
Cook about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
(Can add eggs, dried milk and spices if desired)

Pear Pie filling:
Cut pear into tiny pieces
Fill pie
Cook about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Can use apples instead of pears for an apple pie.
(Can add water if wanting a pie more like a "normal" apple pie, I like this pie a bit more crunchy for my dog)

Pi Pie Topper
Roll dough into small rolls
Cut into three pieces, shape into "Pi" symbol.

Step 2: Materials

Materials:
Mini cupcake pan(s)
Parchment paper cut into small (about 1/4" strips)
Knife
Rolling Pin
Shot Glass
Pet "friendly" dishes
Round cookie cutter (optional)
Pie recipes
Pie ingredients

Step 3: Making the Crust

Make the crust per the recipe. Then take a half palm sized ball and smash it between the hands, as thin as possible or about 1/8" thick. Then lay the dough on the mini cupcake pan (with the strip of parchment paper under it). I spray the shot glass with Pam like spray. I take a shot glass and squash the dough into the pan. Cut or tear the excess dough off. Shape the edges. Wrap excess dough for top in plastic wrap, it will dry out quickly.

This also works by rolling out the dough with a rolling pin and cutting about 2" circles/squares to squash into the mini cupcake pan.

Step 4: Baking & Filling

Bake as instructed for the recipe.
Make filling while baking bottom crust.
Once cool fill with filling.
Add top if desired.
If using canned dog or cat food you do not need to bake again. Cool and serve!
If adding top to pie, like a pot pie or lattice, bake again at the same temperature and for the same amount of time as the bottom. (20 minutes at 350 degrees for the recipes given.)
Can add an egg wash if desired or other decorative items, just make sure they are pet safe.

Step 5: The Natives Are Getting Restless!

About now I have removed a cat or two or three from trying to seek a treat early. They all start to swarm and it starts to feel like I am in a piranha fish tank.

Step 6: Offering to the Natives!

This is where the pet "friendly" dishes comes in. As an offering to the Natives (so I can make it out of here alive) I let them lick the bowls. So use dishes that are safe for them to lick out and you do not mind them being the pre-wash cycle to. (My dog has broken thin plastic bowls before and cans can have sharp edges they can cut themselves on.)

Step 7:

Take cool pictures then let your pet(s) enjoy! I will wrap these up in a plastic bag with a bow and give them to friends for their pet(s) to enjoy!

Step 8: The Natives Never Give Up!

They can still smell the pies long after they have eatten them all and will still be asking for more! Since it is not cake, they can have their pies and eat them too!